Devotional
Why Are They Asking Me? Surprising encounters
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t had been a wonderful Sabbath. After church my wife and I had hosted friends for a lunch, and then we all decided to enjoy a nice afternoon walk in the cool shade of a nearby park. Because it was a hot and typically humid summer day in Maryland, we had all changed into more comfortable walking clothes, and finally started on the tree-shaded path. Many others clearly had the same idea. We passed young families with little ones in their strollers, older couples in deep conversations, larger family groups, and teenagers holding hands. After 10 minutes of walking, a woman in her 40s strode purposefully toward me and asked me for directions to a specific attraction of the park. I knew the place well and quickly pointed her to her destination. Five minutes later an older gentleman wondered how to get to the hothouse of the park. My wife, Chantal, was able to guide him to the right building. Fifteen minutes later, a family with a friendly dog walked hesitantly toward us and asked us for the way to the nearest dog park. I knew the best way to the dog park and walked with the family to the next turn, directing them to their destination. By that time our friends looked at us in wonder: “Why do people keep coming to you asking you for directions? Do you know these people?” BETWEEN DOING AND BEING
Why did people come to us and ask us for directions? Both my wife and I had noticed this phenomenon during earlier walks in our favorite park. Why did people think that we would know the way? we had asked ourselves. We didn’t wear special clothes or badges suggesting that we were park employees. In fact, in our shorts, T-shirts, and walking shoes we looked like most people around us. It was a good question, and it somehow reminded us of evangelism. 20
January 2022 AdventistWorld.org
Evangelism is an important word in Adventist vocabulary—and rightly so. We have been called to share the good news of the soon coming of Jesus with a hurting world hurtling toward destruction. Sometimes we have interpreted the meaning of this word merely in terms of doing, instead of reflecting as intensely on our being. Let me illustrate this from the experience of the early Christian church. Following the miraculous work of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2-4) and the conversions of thousands, the Jewish leadership began to take note of this new movement, called “the Way” (Acts 9:2). This focused attention led to increasingly violent persecution (Acts 8:1-3; 9:1, 2), forcing the church to rapidly spread out beyond Judea, Samaria, Syria, and the rest of the Roman Empire. Itinerant preachers such as Paul, Peter, and other apostles and leaders, would occasionally visit larger cities and engage in what Image:Anvesh R.
