I shoved my bag into the overhead and collapsed into seat 9B. Having been travelling for much of the last 24 hours, I was exhausted and just wanted to be left alone. Hopefully the rest of the occupants of row 9 would feel the same way.
It wasn’t to be. One of them wanted to chat. I answered her questions politely but briefly and closed my eyes.
Not too long after I heard a sermon on being always ready to give an account of the hope we have in us, that we should never miss an opportunity, as who knows if that person will die the next day.
Racked with guilt, I tried to determine: what really is our call regarding evangelism? Am I really to take every chance encounter as an opportunity to share my testimony, explain the gospel, and win another soul?
Reading the scripture gives the clear direction to be a witness everywhere. But what is a witness?
A witness is simply someone who tells what they have seen, heard, or learned. Notice we are not called to be persuaders, confronters, or bull dozers. Just witnesses.
Think about how you talk about anything you find interesting: the success of the Cardinals, news of an asteroid passing by the earth, or a revolt in the Middle East. You share some information, maybe give your opinion, and if no one is interested, move on to another topic.
Or if you are joining a conversation, you make your contribution, listen respectfully to different opinions, and don’t push others to agree with you.
There may be a time with a specific person we might need to confront them or push them to consider the claims of Christ, but in most cases, it seems to me, we are simply to be witnesses.
It takes great humility to discuss something very important to us, knowing we could be met with scorn and mockery, often with great wit. But we still need to bear witness.
When I was a missionary in Russia, I was soundly criticized by a fellow missionary for having struck up a friendship with a doctor who performed abortions. “She has blood on her hands,” I was told, “and you shouldn’t be spending time with her.”
I ignored that advice, and continued with my friendship. I wasn’t about to abandon this woman who was seeking God, just because she hadn’t accepted Christ by our third meeting. I didn’t think my call was to rack up big numbers of converts.
Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. Here was someone who was lost who wanted to be found, who had some big issues to deal with. In Russia, doctors do not have the right to refuse to do certain procedures for reasons of conscience. Her choice was quit her profession or do the work assigned to her to do.
For four years I prayed for that doctor, listened to her talk of her shame, and encouraged her as she did her best to talk women out of the abortion they came to her to receive. There are many alive today because of her. Best of all, she had the courage to change jobs several times until she found a place where she did not ever have to perform another abortion. “I feel like a great rock has rolled off of my soul,” she told me. By meeting her where she was, and talking about the needs she had, she was much more willing to listen to me talk of how God can meet those needs.
Many people see evangelism as simply giving their testimony and presenting the gospel. But I think it begins a little differently. When someone shares a need, I can at least offer to pray for them. Or share a time when God helped me through a similar situation. Just bearing witness of what God has done for me and what He can do for them.
One of my favorite quotes is “preach the gospel always, and if necessary, use words.” Our culture is so jaded on the topic of Christianity that our words or appeals to the authority of scripture fall on deaf ears. Our actions and willingness to listen get us a hearing for the gospel that meets the needs many don’t even know that they have.
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