Despite being a dedicated Christian I've never really been a shouting at people in the street kind of guy.
In point of fact, Christian or no Christian I am every bit as put off by street-corner evangelists as any non-Christian ever was. "Have you found Jesus?" they ask, almost invariably when I am late for work or some other important function, or when the shop I am running to get to is just about to close.
"Unfortunately I seem to have found you," I think to myself.
Why do they always pick on me?
I'm being a bit unfair. These guys don't receive any material reward for trying to save my soul (there's always an assumption that I am not a Christian already). They are doing it for what they perceive to be my spiritual well-being. Mindful of this I try to bring the conversation to a close with a warm smile, but it's difficult when they won't take no for an answer and insist upon following you into the bank.
Of course, as Christians, we have an obligation to try to help others to see the light. I remain doubtful as to quite how this is achieved by haranguing passers-by in the high street. But at least they are trying to do something. What exactly am I doing to help spread the Good News?
Wel apart from this humble blog and the few leaflets that I push through letterboxes in my local community at Christmas, I would like to think the answer is in setting an example. I have many friends who are non-Christians, and it is my hope that the values I try to adhere to (please notice I said "try", I detest moralising and any kind of assumption of superiority) are noticed by others, and that any positive impression formed of my attitude and lifestyle will translate into a positive impression of the Church I attend and of the Faith I observe.
My belief is that each of us needs to approach the challenge of spreading the Word by recognising what we do best and playing to our own strengths. "Let a hundred flowers bloom" as Mao Zedong put it. But then again, he was an athiest.
In point of fact, Christian or no Christian I am every bit as put off by street-corner evangelists as any non-Christian ever was. "Have you found Jesus?" they ask, almost invariably when I am late for work or some other important function, or when the shop I am running to get to is just about to close.
"Unfortunately I seem to have found you," I think to myself.
Why do they always pick on me?
I'm being a bit unfair. These guys don't receive any material reward for trying to save my soul (there's always an assumption that I am not a Christian already). They are doing it for what they perceive to be my spiritual well-being. Mindful of this I try to bring the conversation to a close with a warm smile, but it's difficult when they won't take no for an answer and insist upon following you into the bank.
Of course, as Christians, we have an obligation to try to help others to see the light. I remain doubtful as to quite how this is achieved by haranguing passers-by in the high street. But at least they are trying to do something. What exactly am I doing to help spread the Good News?
Wel apart from this humble blog and the few leaflets that I push through letterboxes in my local community at Christmas, I would like to think the answer is in setting an example. I have many friends who are non-Christians, and it is my hope that the values I try to adhere to (please notice I said "try", I detest moralising and any kind of assumption of superiority) are noticed by others, and that any positive impression formed of my attitude and lifestyle will translate into a positive impression of the Church I attend and of the Faith I observe.
My belief is that each of us needs to approach the challenge of spreading the Word by recognising what we do best and playing to our own strengths. "Let a hundred flowers bloom" as Mao Zedong put it. But then again, he was an athiest.
