NO MAN IS AN ISLAND
HERE FOR THE JOURNEY
SHARING THE GOSPEL LIKE JESUS DID BY NEIL JOSEPHSON
W
henever I talk about faith with someone else, I always try to remember that I am joining a conversation that is already in progress. In almost every case, the person I am speaking with has had some connection with a Christ follower…for better or worse! C.S. Lewis once said that people who are not yet following Jesus have one of two problems: they either don’t know a Christian… or they do! That’s a great — and sadly accurate — comment isn’t it? But beyond the human conversation, when we talk faith with another person we need to remember that we are entering a conversation that God’s Holy Spirit has already begun. So how do we enter that conversation and talk faith? Just the way we would enter a human conversation already in progress: • We wouldn’t barge in and just start talking. First, we would listen and perhaps ask questions, showing respect for the other person and earning the right to speak. • We would try to understand what is already being thought and said and build from there. • We would seek to contribute to the conversation not take it over. There is a great example of how to talk about faith in the life of Jesus as told by Luke. In chapter 24 beginning at verse 13, we read that two people were walking the seven miles from Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus and “while
32 SEVEN JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019
they were conversing and discussing, Jesus before we have the right answers or even himself approached and began travelling know who Jesus truly is. with them.” He joined a conversation There is a beautiful and important already in progress, and according to finish to this story of talking faith. this text, at first, he just journeyed with Jesus accepts the invitation to stick them and listened. around and shares some In verse 17 Jesus entered basic life experiences with IT WAS ONLY the conversation but not them. He entered the same THEN, AFTER with the answers Jesus home they did. He ate with asked a question: “What are them. He prayed. He served LISTENING you talking about?”. First, he them. And no doubt the AND ASKING listened. Then He engaged conversation continued as QUESTIONS, them. Then He drew them it does when we share a out a bit with a simple meal and do life with others. THAT JESUS question. There is a great After this, Luke says (v. 31) BEGAN TO moment when one of the “their eyes were opened and PROVIDE SOME two, Cleopas, asked Jesus they recognized Jesus”. After “are you unaware of what entering the conversation ANSWERS has happened here in these simply as a fellow traveller, FROM THE days?” I wonder if Jesus after listening and asking SCRIPTURES. had to suppress a smile questions, after sharing at that one. Who knows? what he knew and then But he did press on and asked another finally doing some life together, after all question: “What things?” in effect saying, that the two travellers saw Jesus for who “Please, tell me more about what you he really was and is — the living Christ! are thinking and feeling”. This unlocked So, speaking of faith, we would love to the floodgates and the two travellers hear your stories of talking faith — send poured out their thoughts, experiences, us a note at info@promisekeepers.ca and disappointments (vss19-24). It was only then, after listening and asking questions, that Jesus began to provide / NEIL JOSEPHSON is the National Director some answers from the scriptures with FamilyLife Canada.Neil, together with (v.27). He must have done it in a very his wife Sharol, lead FamilyLife Canada. engaging way too because when they Neil loves to learn, teach and write about got to Emmaus they urged him to stay anything related to marriage, family and with them longer. And note that this was Christian discipleship. Married since 1982, all before they even had identified him! Neil and Sharol have two great sons, two Apparently, Jesus is willing to engage awesome daugther-in-laws and three of the with us, with our thoughts and questions sweetest grandchildren ever.
