WORD, DEED & SPIRIT AL TIZON
When in Doubt, Reminisce
laugh. It made me feel good inside. But now I ask, how would I be different today if the Lutheran Church (the creator of the show) didn’t believe in evangelism enough to create Davey and Goliath? I remember how, amidst family upheaval and the eventual divorce of my Despite its political incorrectness in the parents, this cute girl named Janice gave postmodern age, I believe in evangelism. me a big green book called The Way as Despite some of the embarrassing ways a gift. I knew she was a Christian, so I of street preachers, televangelists, mass figured this thick green paperback was tract-distributors, and well-meaning some kind of Bible. Her overt, yet nondoorknockers, I still believe in the prac- judgmental excitement about the faith tice of sharing with others the good news compelled me to accept this gift, which concerning Jesus so that they may come I began to devour when I became a to faith in Christ and join the new Christian about three years later. Incidentally, around the same time I started community. I make this affirmation amidst sen- to read it, I called Janice to thank her timents to the contrary. Evangelism is for the gift. It’s a longer story than this outmoded and ineffective, many say. Let our column can contain, but the short of it is actions speak, and if people become Christians that we got married two years later. How as a result, then fine. But let’s not try to con- would I be different today if Janice didn’t vert them. Others outright reject it as believe in evangelism enough to give me wrongheaded, immoral, and even evil. a Bible and share her excitement? Evangelism violates peoples’ culture, faith, How can I believe in and dignity. Practice compassion and justice on behalf of the poor and advocate for the evangelism in this day and age? oppressed and the marginalized instead. In light of my own journey I affirm evangelism loudly and clearly to faith, how can I not? — sometimes because I am so ready to I remember at the mature age of 14 agree with my fellow social activists! After all, I believe in compassion, justice, and — a freshman in high school — declaradvocacy, too, as indispensable ways to ing myself an atheist. How can there be share the good news of the kingdom. But a God of order and love, I argued, amidst each time I get ready to make the jump such chaos, not only in my own family onto the social justice-only bandwagon, but in the world? Truly believing that a profound sense of pause wells up from humanity was on its own, I indulged in within, as memories from my own faith self-medication (drugs), popularity and parties, sports and academics, all in order journey come to the fore. I remember getting up every Sunday to make sense out of life and to ease the morning at 7:30 to watch Davey and pain. At 17, still in the thick of adolescent Goliath, that old hokey television “claymation” program, which I credit now angst, I was invited by a girl I liked to a for opening my eyes to the possibility youth gathering called Son City. On the of God. As a child living in a faith-free, strength of my crush, I agreed to go to dysfunctional home, that silly little show the gathering, and there for the first time actually provided an alternate, desirable I heard the gospel in a way that I could narrative of life for me. Of course, I respond to. After an hour or so of sports, wouldn’t have described it that way back games, and music, some guy named Ralph then; I just liked the show. It made me in blue jeans and T-shirt got up and shared PRISM 2010
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a message about God’s love being made real in Jesus Christ. In my desperate state, I responded to the call to “invite Jesus into my heart.” How would I be different today if Ralph and those other Bible school interns in my hometown didn’t believe in evangelism enough to organize that youth outreach called Son City? The cumulative effect of these and other no less significant experiences led to my becoming a new creation in Christ. Grace, forgiveness, peace, purpose, hope — after an initial taste of such things, I never looked back. With Christ at the center, I have experienced things I don’t deserve — a happy marriage, well-adjusted children, a fruitful ministry, strength amidst trials, deep joy and peace of mind, to name just a few grace gifts. I have been a Christian now for over 30 years, and it was because certain people were faithful to share the good news with me. Al, how can you believe in evangelism in this day and age? In light of my own journey to faith, how can I not? How can I not also be the bearer of good news for others? How can I not possibly believe that the transformation of the world does not also include the transformation of the heart? There is a mantra that has served me well through the years in keeping my faith alive and personal. I say to myself quite regularly, “When in doubt, reminisce.”When God begins to feel distant; when life’s circumstances cause me to forget my first love; when my hope begins to flag that Christ is the answer not only to the world’s problems but also to my problems, I simply need to remember how up-close-and-personal I have experienced the living God. By reminiscing in this way, doubt recedes, vitality returns, and passion for the lost resolutely remains on the agenda. Q Al Tizon is director of ESA’s Word & Deed Network and assistant professor of holistic ministry at Palmer Theological Seminary in Wynnewood, Pa.