"...we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." -Acts 2:11
Keep the communication of your faith in Christ simple and clear.
The other day, I had my usual cup of morning brew in my usual coffee house. When I was finished, I walked back up to the counter and asked for a refill. One of the young women behind the counter exclaimed, wide-eyed, "YOU want a refill!?" She was acting out good-natured mock surprise as I, apparently, had rarely, if ever, gotten a refill.
My response, as I snapped my 50-cent refill charge on the countertop was, "Yep, I'm living high on the hog today!"
She and another young employee laughed, but it quickly occurred to me that I wasn't even sure what the expression "high on the hog" really meant, even though I knew the context within which to use it. So, I asked them, "Have you ever heard that expression before - 'high on the hog'?"
They both said "no." One of them was clearly of Asian descent and the other Hispanic. Therefore, I wasn't sure if it was an Anglo-Saxon reference or not.
"It means I'm splurging this morning," I said. They smiled, again, so did I, but I beat a hasty retreat realizing that the term "splurging" was very possibly a term from my cultural upbringing that they might not be able to relate to either.
I've had a chance to spend several hours thinking about this and it's lead me to wonder how effectively any of us communicate the redemptive, unconditional love of Christ to persons who have had no introduction to Him. Certainly, God desires us to talk about Him - they called Jesus "teacher" and He spoke effectively in terms clear and familiar to an audience in His specific culture.
How can we act and speak in terms clear and familiar enough to those around each of us to open up the possibility that their hearts would recognize their own longing for Christ?
Keep the communication of your faith in Christ simple and clear.
The other day, I had my usual cup of morning brew in my usual coffee house. When I was finished, I walked back up to the counter and asked for a refill. One of the young women behind the counter exclaimed, wide-eyed, "YOU want a refill!?" She was acting out good-natured mock surprise as I, apparently, had rarely, if ever, gotten a refill.
My response, as I snapped my 50-cent refill charge on the countertop was, "Yep, I'm living high on the hog today!"
She and another young employee laughed, but it quickly occurred to me that I wasn't even sure what the expression "high on the hog" really meant, even though I knew the context within which to use it. So, I asked them, "Have you ever heard that expression before - 'high on the hog'?"
They both said "no." One of them was clearly of Asian descent and the other Hispanic. Therefore, I wasn't sure if it was an Anglo-Saxon reference or not.
"It means I'm splurging this morning," I said. They smiled, again, so did I, but I beat a hasty retreat realizing that the term "splurging" was very possibly a term from my cultural upbringing that they might not be able to relate to either.
I've had a chance to spend several hours thinking about this and it's lead me to wonder how effectively any of us communicate the redemptive, unconditional love of Christ to persons who have had no introduction to Him. Certainly, God desires us to talk about Him - they called Jesus "teacher" and He spoke effectively in terms clear and familiar to an audience in His specific culture.
How can we act and speak in terms clear and familiar enough to those around each of us to open up the possibility that their hearts would recognize their own longing for Christ?
Prayer:
Lord, I admit that I have sometimes felt confused and maybe even communicated confusion through religious terms, many of which mean nothing when someone I know or love is hurting or searching. Help me keep my ability to communicate my faith simple, yet profound. Thank You that your Holy Spirit promises to make the difference that I cannot. Amen.
^^^*^^^
Think for a minute about what, or who, really made the positive difference for you in your walk of faith. Chances are it was a simple, uncomplicated comment, thought, moment, idea, or example. Talk to another follower of Christ about this. Discuss ways to relay effectively the love of Christ to others.
By Jim Colman
By Jim Colman
No comments:
Post a Comment