Saturday, March 19, 2005
How Do We Evangelize The Hostile? Part Deux
Check out this from The Philadelphia Daily News:
I know that is a bit of a cop out for an answer. Nonetheless, the woman's words make it clear she will not listen to words of God, and I refuse to believe she is beyond God's reach. She is representative of much of the world today -- such people are our mission field.
The story of Ashley Smith, the Atlanta hostage who soothed a rampaging killer into surrendering without further violence, is a riveting tale of grace and humanity.How do we as Christians, reach out to someone with such an open hostility to the things of Christianity? I don't know for sure, but I think this person is going to have to be reached on a non-verbal level. Any mention of the things of God will create a defensiveness that cannot be overcome with more words. Only actions will speak to this woman.
Would that it had remained just that.
Instead, it's become a testimonial for an evangelical Christian book and an endorsement of the theology embraced in the book - and that leaves me feeling alienated from what should be an inspiring tale of human transcendence.
I know that is a bit of a cop out for an answer. Nonetheless, the woman's words make it clear she will not listen to words of God, and I refuse to believe she is beyond God's reach. She is representative of much of the world today -- such people are our mission field.
