For those of you who have read my blog in the past, you know I am on this journey to dicern the difference between true Christianity and things that are largely a product of American Christian culture. This practince of "witnessing" is I think a product of our culture.
The other day, when I picked my daughter up from youth group and asked her how it went. She said, "We learned about evangelism."
I said, "Cool, what did you learn?"
She said, "What you do is you go up to people and tell them that they are a sinner."
She went on to detail the process by which you share your faith and the list of verses you are supposed to use.
I groaned. My daughter's youth group and is great. She really has found a place where she belongs, but I really thought the era of telling Christians they have to operate from some preplanned script to tell the world about Jesus was over. Like the unbeliever isn't going to pick up how canned you sound.
When I was in college, we had a little booklet we were supposed to go around and share with everyone called The Four Spiritual laws. It had pictures and everything.
If anyone was won over by these approaches, let me know. Perhaps I am being to harsh. My own conversion in high school happened because Christians were incredibly kind to me in big ways and small ways. A family welcomed me into their home when I had no place to live and didn't want to return to my own home where my father's drinking had gotten pretty bad. I was confused on an assignment in school and a girl who I knew was a Christian spoke to me with such kindness...just a small thing.
While I think the stuff they boil down to the four spiritual laws is theologically sound, I don't think anyone is won over by hearing it. Do we really think telling someone they are a sinner is going to be the start of a great friendship? People don't feel loved when we say those kind of things, they feel judged. We drive people from the kingdom with these insincere approaches.
Some years ago a pastor said in relationship to evangelism that people know right away when we as Christians have turned someone into a project. Unsaved people are people, not projects. They have hearts and heartaches. They have needs. Our evangelism ought to flow from a sincere desire to want to form a friendship with someone because have something in common with them, we fill a connection to them.
So let's get rid of this Christianeze word "witnessing" as though it were something we could check off on a list right after "change the oil in the car" and "pick up dry cleaning." Please, please can we get rid of the script and just let the evangelism flow from our personal experiences and individual spiritual discoveries.
Telling people they all have to operate from the same script is the height of micro management, it leaves no room for love or opportunity to share from our own uniqueness.
Thanks for letting me rant. And I seriouly would love to hear other people's conversion stories. What won you over? Was there a clear moment. Or was there a gradual change?
Sharon Dunn lives and writes and rants where the snow has just recently melted. You can read more about Sharon and her books at www.sharondunnbooks.com.
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