We have just finished a great week at HCS featuring two module courses on Evangelism (by Dr. Gerry Michalski) and Missions (by Dr. Ken Birch). Both courses dealt with similar principles (sharing our beliefs with others), which are generally applied in different geographical areas (local vs international).
I sat in on some stimulating discussion in the Evangelism course. The topic at hand was how do we as Christians come across to others. It seems we are often judgmental, unloving, holier-than-thou, arrogant etc.? Should we be shocked by some of the negative responses we receive? Consider the following:
• Gandhi once said that he loved Christ, just not Christians.
• A guest speaker at our college once repeated several times “I like the church, I just hate church people”; and
• I have a book on my shelf by Dan Kimball entitled “They like Jesus but not the church”.
Can it be that we are being so separate from the world that we are irrelevant in it? How will we share the gospel if we alienate everyone. Indeed we need to engage our friends and acquaintances love, compassion and acceptance without annoying them or turning them off.
Instead of being judgmental and even persecutory, we need to be loving, understanding and accepting. Then maybe someone will listen to us!
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