Evangelism

A few days ago, I went out to talk with high school students from NYC high schools at the Manhattan Mall on 32nd and 6th. I went as a part of Student Venture, a ministry to NYC high school students. Last year, some TKC students partnered with Student Venture to reach students at Norman Thomas. Further, the House of Thatcher focused this involvement as their City Engagement project. This year, they have contacted the House of Lewis about joining them in that endeavor. After discussing it as an Exec Team and sending some of our guys to an informational lunch, we decided as a House to commit to this project with the House of Thatcher. This is breaking new ground on the TKC front because, to my knowledge, no Houses have ever joined up for City Engagement. This year, we have already begun, and it is not even November. We are truly “raising the bar,” which is a mantra that has been taken up by Student Development for this year. They have raised the bar in the level of training they are giving their leaders, in the facilities for that training, in the gym membership and surely in other ways that I do not even know about yet or that do not come immediately to mind.

So I listened in the Student Lounge to Chris, the point-person for involvement with Student Venture. She talked a bit about the vision and how engagement takes place. It seems like they have thought this through quite well. It also seems like Student Venture’s influence is not limited to one high school. I would be interested in researching more about Student Venture on the internet. Pennie Gelwicks was heavily involved last year and is the point-person in the House of Thatcher. She invited and encouraged our House to participate.

That is a lengthy introduction to what I found myself doing. I was walking in the food court of the Manhattan Mall, approaching students with a couple of other Kings students, asking them in a survey questions about themselves. Particularly, I asked one person, due to the length of time we had and our assignment from Chris. I went through the questions. First, I asked about music preferences and other banal topics. It lead into the last three questions which were of a more personal nature. Did the person feel loved by friends and family? Did he feel loved by God? Did he want me to tell him more about that love that God had for him?

While I felt fine talking asking the first questions, I didn’t feel as comfortable when I hit those last questions. Why? What right do I have to pry into a complete stranger’s beliefs and personal feelings? We are told in Scripture to always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the faith that we have in Christ Jesus. Perhaps my discomfort comes from the role-reversal. I am asking questions instead of giving answers. I believe that being proactive in things is good. But I don’t feel like I have earned a right to be heard by that stranger about why I think they should change their beliefs. It seems to be disingenuous. I’m selling them something.

Even if I have pure motives in witnessing to them, which obviously I do, I’m not at a good place to talk with them about spiritual things because I haven’t showed them the love of Jesus. Whenever Jesus or the early church shared the good news, it came with all the benefits of a changed life and the presentation was accompanied by acts of love. I think I would feel far more comfortable with sharing my faith if I did an act of service or kindness and was asked about why I did it. That, to me, is the perfect “in” to sharing my faith. But engaging strangers about their personal beliefs with the intention of changing their mind just feels wrong to me.

I may feel uncomfortable from my lack of experience and practice. It is normal to feel shy or intimidated by a new situation. It’s true, street evangelism is still a new thing for me. Maybe I’ll grow to love it. But I feel that the damage that can be done to the hearer by a purely rational presentation of the Gospel must often outweigh the good. The risk is high, maybe too high. When leaving someone with a tract or explanation of what Jesus did without any proof that Jesus is real in my life, am I stripping the news of goodness? When attempting to change a culture, one must first understand the culture, then speak to the culture in a way that appeals to it. If I am presenting to postmoderns, I ought to prove to them by my actions that what I am saying works. Maybe decades ago, the ground was fertile and all that was necessary was for the seed of the Good News to be sown. The culture was one that already had a knowledge of who Jesus was, maybe people just needed questions answered about how it applied to their lives. There was enough common ground and receptiveness that walking up to a stranger and telling them about what Jesus did for them was enough to bring them to their knees in tears. But I do not believe that is the situation we see today. In many ways, belief in Jesus could thoroughly explained in the most solid, rational way possible, but because the hearer has little concern for rational explanations, the news falls on deaf ears.

God’s message will go out and bear fruit. Of that there is no doubt. But it would be foolish for His disciples to approach unbelievers in an outdated and ineffective manner. As in any situation, a rhetorician who wants his argument to be heard must speak to the needs and desires of his listener. The speaker must determine which way of introducing his message would cause his listener to be the most receptive. I’d like to be able to say that the gospel is so obviously a blessing that anyone should be immediately receptive to it. But I do not think that such a view reflects reality.

I hope I haven’t sounded too harsh. I’m sure that The Spirit has used this kind of evangelism to great purposes in the past. It’s just that I question if such a method is really the preferred method of spreading the love of Jesus where I live today.

I’m excited about Student Venture and what will happen with that this year. I know that there will be plenty of opportunity to serve and relate with those high school kids on Fridays when they come to the Student Lounge. I hope to be a blessing to them there. I hope to be able to present to them the love of Jesus in a way that they can see and understand. And I pray that God moves in great ways as we, students of The King’s College seek to spread Jesus’ love and His Kingdom.

Taking Every Thought Captive,

Zachary