I have grown up with images of Evangelism that portray street preachers, megaphones, bible-thumpers and people going door to door giving out tracts - and it can be very difficult to imagine a different way. These were the images and models I was given in my formative years as a young disciple - like they were the only way.
While many of us have (for better or worse) abandoned that way of speaking our faith, the gospel keeps poking us with an imperative to speak of our faith. With words. So how can we 'talk' the gospel in ways that are more natural, more loving, more honest?
I'm exploring what it might mean to be a witness. I'm not avoiding the "E" word totally; I'm trying to reframe it in biblical terms. Acts 1.8 talks about the followers of Jesus 'being witnesses'; Matthew 28.18 talks of 'making disciples'. Neither of these phrases talk of converting or evangelizing. Both focus on the task at hand, not the end result. Both imply that the task belongs to everyone.
One of the ways in which witness holds my attention is that it seems more of a relational term. It has unhelpfully been used as a verb ("I'm going out to witness"), when its intention is as a noun - a word that describes one's being. Being a witness means being in relationship
This phrase grabbed my attention in a sermon recently;
"We do not shout the gospel from afar: We whisper it in the ear".
In order to whisper, we need to get close to a person;
inside their personal space;
with their permission.
To do this, we must have built a certain level of trust;
trust that is both given and received;
trust that takes time and shared experiences to build.
It is a kind of trust that requires respectfulness of the other. That sort of closeness is vulnerable, intimate and personal.
Whispers are not long speeches.
They can be as short as a word or two, or as long as a short story.
Whispers are not read, they come from the heart.
They allow time for thinking and response.
Whispers can come in all sorts of ways.
Ric Stott, in the D:Sign podcast from the Methodist Church in Great Britain (Scroll down to find this one - The D:Sign Podcast: Ric Stott, 23 December 2011) talks about his ministry as an art therapist, but especially his experiences painting and drawing in public places where people will come and watch and talk. (This 20 minute podcast is worth taking time over a cup of coffee to listen to). Ric talks about the work of the church not as evangelism, but as creating life-giving communities of people centered around Jesus Christ.
In this context witness, relationships and these whispers are important.
From the beginning a genuine witness watches and listens before speaking - they take the time to observe what God is doing in others lives, and whisper gently and hope-fully.
Question: In what ways have you seen "whispers" of witness contribute to the creation of this life-giving community of people centered on Jesus Christ? You can leave a comment below.
