:: Articles ::Some of
my random thoughts on life and what happens |
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:: Saturday, November 24, 2002 :: There are two
words that scare Christians and non-Christians alike, EVANGELISM. It evokes the same response from the
hearers as the word “Mofassa” in the Lion King or Voldemort in Harry Potter (Am
I allowed to read that as a Christ follower?). Evangelism is the message of good news! Why do we all shrink away from it? I think part of the reason is that we’ve
missed the essence of what Evangelism really means. Webster defines evangelism in the following way: Main Entry: evan·ge·lism
Militant or
crusading zeal! What the heck, have
we screwed up so bad? Drifting eons
away from Jesus Himself saying: For God did not send his Son into the
world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. When we went through our Vacation
Ownership Spiel I realized that Webster’s definition is much more true than
we would like to admit. Mighty Mouse continually reassured us that they were not into high-pressure sales but everything they did showed the opposite. We felt like her project for the afternoon – if we really have clout then we will buy but remember they’re not into high pressure sales. The lunch was an attempt to coerce us into dropping our guard, it was also an opportunity for her to create a project profile of us. She asked questions about our lives that seemed like interest on the surface, in actuality it was more of a scientific method. When we refused her and Stingray’s deal, they stung us and left us with a sarcastic smirk. We were pissed. Eight years
ago a man who was badly clothed and smelled showed me that I reeked
inside. It was a boring day at
church, full of pride I decided to walk out of the service and do real
worship and work for God. He stood in
the street outside the sanctuary and asked me if I saw the movie “A river
runs through it”. Yes, I
replied, and started my project profile on him. Do you like
watching movies? Yeah I love it. What was the
message you got out of the movie? That life should be lived to the fullest. Do you
believe that you can say that’s true of you right now? He gave no
answer and evaded the question. I
continued to probe with jabs aimed at showing him that he really needed what
I had. The conversation continued
with me forming his profile.
According to my profile he was a drug junky and an alcoholic who’s
making a huge mess of his life. He is
a bum that will probably try to squeeze some money out of me shortly. Internally I was blackening him, outwardly
I painted a pretty picture with courtesy and smiles. In my mind this ‘project of mine’ will
repent in a few minutes and see the light!
Then God
intervened, the bum looked me straight in the eyes in said to me: I’m only another tick on your list, am I not? You don’t really care about me. I’m your project! You can’t wait to get back to your friends to tell them that you’ve made another convert. He turned
around and walked away, he was right and I repented. In that moment he became the messenger and
I the recipient. That evening I read
Jesus’ words in Matthew 23: “Woe to you,
teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and
sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as
much a son of hell as you are.” OUCH. Sitting there with Mighty Mouse I was
reminded that we should honor God by seeing all people as His and not reduce
them to a project. Projects easily
discarded if they don’t fit into our plan.
It also forced me to see that maybe my plan sucked, maybe I was a son
of hell in my blackened state and motivation. Arguably it
was acceptable for Mighty Mouse to profile us, but it’s definitely
unacceptable for Christ followers to do that, to God’s people created in His
image. We are called to love not
profile. Matthew 25: 41 “Then he will say to those on his
left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for
the devil and his angels. 42 For
I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me
nothing to drink, 43 I was
a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not
clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when
did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or
in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth,
whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for
me.’ What a
difference it would make if we treat all people as loved by God! Tomorrow I will share part3. |
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