I’m doing a little combo reflection here, since Randy Newman
(the author of Bringing the Gospel Home) guests on both, and the focus is
similar in each. Evangelism. Witnessing!
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| listen at this link: http://goo.gl/e5QCxZ |
Yikes.
I wonder—I really do—how
the general peeps feel about witnessing.
Do you do it?
Do you like to?
Are you all about the door-to-door thing, or do you keep a
low-profile? Do you pull out your Christianity at parties, hound your
degenerate family members, show up at deathbeds? How’s the old office witness
thing going?
Really, I know that sometimes I’m the one who will to say
the candid, albeit slightly skewed, stuff that a lot of people don’t feel
comfortable talking about. Like I’ll admit to cussing or I’ll tell people how I
couldn’t possibly home school because I suck as both a mom and a teacher, which
is pretty funny since I actually am a
teacher. BUT: I think I’m going out on a limb here when I say that evangelism
is not my favorite thing.
The crazy thing is that, when confronted with this topic, I
find myself suffering from writer’s block, which I think is just a great big
myth anyway!
I often wonder about evangelism, and how the lives of the
folks in Acts are relevant today. Right now, I really only want to pose
questions. First, why is it not my thing? Second, do I have a right—biblically
speaking—to take such a stance? May I bow out of evangelism? So, these are, of course, begging a more
basic question: Is there a biblical
mandate to evangelize?
Matthew 28:19 probably says it best: “Therefore go and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit . . .” (NIV).
I’m not so sure I can get around that one. I would, though,
love to hear how people respond to this commission.
Newman assumes it, and moves on from there. In the first
episode, he discusses the process of evangelizing by asking questions. Sounds
like the Socratic method to me. This really mirrors Jesus who often answers a
question with another question. This not only promotes active engagement rather
than a passive kind of distance, but it also has the benefit of revealing
insincerity. There’s a difference between sincere discussion and clever,
insincere banter. There are plenty of people who enjoy sparring over
philosophy, mostly because it can sound pretty smart. But the Socratic method
may require sincere engagement.
So where are you?
Do you tell your friends that they’re going to hell,
like Elaine’s boyfriend does on “Seinfeld”? Are you Elaine in this? Or Puddy?
I’m kinda like George.
In the second radio episode, Newman talks about witnessing
to family members. (What’s with all of the “Seinfeld” references?)
I did enjoy the fact that his background was Judaism, so he
knew what witnessing to Jewish family members was like. That’s my background, too. I’ve always
noted how it seems to me that when a Jewish person converts to Christianity,
it‘s somehow one of the most offensive acts possible—right up there with
terrorism and child abuse. Or, more accurately, joining a cult. Jesus is an
all-out affront; one is turning his
or her back on Moses, the Moses. It
seems to be a very personal insult against Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
This had always been my longstanding impression.
But now I realize, having married a Catholic who went all
Protestant, that the Catholics aren’t so thrilled by conversion to
Protestantism either.
In both situations, philosophical and religious beliefs are seen
as affronts against two things that are, apparently, more important than just
about anything else: culture and tradition.
Maybe more attention, then, needs to be focused on the importance of culture and tradition, but the ways in which they're intellectually secondary to belief systems.
In such a climate, I know how I’ve personally responded. I just shut up, to be honest. I like the
Jewish people and the Catholic people in my life. Fun traditions, appealing
culture! I don’t really want to mess with
that!
I'm not in a cult!
At least, I'm not right now!
Still: there is the nagging existential stuff. How does the meaning of life fit in?
I get a little schizophrenic. Forget the meaning of life! Can’t we just celebrate Christmas with some
uber-Catholic panache and eat some potato latkes? Spin the freakin’ dreidel!
Really, let me just admit to my own hesitancies (failures?),
my own inadequacies (failures?), and my own distaste—it is distaste, folks—for an in-your-face witnessing style that presents
Christianity in a disingenuous way. What is a disingenuous way? Have you
thought about this? What is an effective witness? Is there a quiet witness? How do you feel about leaflets?
Are you with me?
This time, I’m asking for feedback. Where do you stand on
evangelism and witnessing?
Written by RCC member Jennifer Bell
