Evangelism is Baking Curiosity

Mention evangelism and many of us in churches will shudder in fear, saying either we cannot do it, or we are afraid people will reject us. One of the hallmarks of Christianity is outreach. Share the Word of God. Spread the good news. Let the whole world know that Jesus has died for your sins, and that there is hope in Christ. In the past, some use tracts. Others use mass evangelism by bringing in renowned evangelists, popular speakers, so as to draw people in. Some go door to door. Yet, others stand on public walkways carrying a placard that says:

"Repent now! The end is near. Believe in Jesus and you will be saved."

No. Such forms of evangelism are simply too narrow to be called evangelism. Broadly speaking, evangelism is more like baking curiosity. Let others see our good works, that they become curious.

"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." (1 Peter 2:12)

As I reflect on my outreach efforts, I can recall all the different ways I do outreach. One of them involves training to be a counselor at the eve of mass evangelistic rallies. Ready for the harvest, we will learn what to say and how to lead people toward saying the sinners' prayer and then marking out a card for feedback to the organizers. It is all done in good intent. Many of the folks who come know that it is an evangelistic rally. Of course, there are some who felt a little misled because the people who invited them have not told them exactly what an evangelistic rally is. Another way is to share the gospel openly through friendship. Today, I will write about evangelism through 'making people curious.' I call this baking curiosity, one good work at a time. We do the blending. Let the Spirit of God do the baking. In due time, somebody else will do the harvesting. Evangelism cannot be forced. At most, it is an invitation freely given, and are to be freely received.

Seven Metaphors From Technology

TITLE: Seven Spiritual Metaphors from Technology
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 29 July 2011

I have been a user of technology as well as a technologist for many years. One of my favourite topics remains the faith and technology category. As I ponder about the current technology available, I find it fascinating to see spiritual lessons and metaphors we can learn. Here are 7 of them.

"Hitchens vs Blair" Debate

Canada is increasingly one of the most secular states in the developed world. In fact, I feel it is leading the way in not only being 'secular' but also rather anti-institutional religion. One evidence lies in the way people perceive religion. On November 26th, 2010, world renowned atheist activist, Christopher Hitchens and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, lock horns in Toronto Canada to debate the question:

"Be it resolved religion is a force for good in the world."


Moderated by Rudyard Griffiths, both speakers were allowed 7 minutes to make their opening arguments which is then followed by two rounds of rebuttals and counter arguments. Questions are then fielded both online as well as from the audience. Here are some of their points.

Remembering John Stott (1921-2011)

One of the most prominent leaders in the evangelical world has died. Together with CS Lewis, Francis Schaeffer, JI Packer, and others, I rank John Stott as among the foremost leaders of modern evangelical Christianity. He is 90. Known for his preaching and teaching effectiveness, Stott has been instrumental in the shape of evangelicalism today. Calling evangelicalism as a 'plain, ordinary Christian,' Stott has helped millions of ordinary people to come to a plain faith in Jesus. His books have influenced millions. His speeches have inspired countless number of people. What earth has lost, heaven has gained. CT has published a good obituary here.

I recall how his writings have been so effective in my own Christian life. "Issues Facing Christians Today" has been used not only in seminaries, but also in Bible studies, small groups, and Christian Education classes. Stott is also one who is firmly grounded in all things Bible, he is also sensitive to the culture at large. One of my most memorable quotes from Stott is this from the contemporary Christian. It is about learning to practice 'dual-listening.'

“We stand between the Word and the world with consequent obligation to listen to both. We listen to the Word to discover even more of the riches of Christ. We listen to the world in order to discern which of Christ’s riches are needed most and how to present them in their best light.” (John Stott, The Contemporary Christian: Applying God's Word to Today's World, IVP, 1992, p110-111)

His teaching ministry has flourished with a global reach toward 'equipping a new generation of Bible teachers.' It will no doubt be spearheaded by people earnest for the gospel. He has contributed loads of material to disciple the young believer. Books like "Basic Christianity," "Understanding the Bible," and "Why I am a Christian" have been used for discipleship classes. One of his classic works remains "The Cross of Christ."

In it, he masterfully deals with the implications of Christ's death for God as well as for the world.

Stott is an immensely quotable person. Some of his best quotes are:

• "Every Christian should be both conservative and radical; conservative in preserving the faith and radical in applying it." (CT Oct 1975)
• "Faith is a reasoning trust, a trust which reckons thoughtfully and confidently upon the trustworthiness of God." (Stott, Your Mind Matters, IVP, 2006, p52)
• "If I come to Scripture with our minds made up, expecting to hear from it only an echo of our own thoughts and never the underclap of God's, then indeed he will not speak to us and we shall only be confirmed in our own prejudices. We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behaviour." (Stott, Culture and the Bible, IVP, 1981, p33)

John Stott's life is demonstrated in how he weaves his life into his books, his teaching and his life. For me, Stott has left a legacy of what it means to be a Bible student, a teacher, as well as a pastor through a threefold lens. 

"In developing my theme, I have had in mind the triangle of Scripture, tradition, and the modern world. My first anxiety has been to be true to the Word of God, allowing it to say what it has to say and not asking it to say what I might want it to say. There is no alternative to careful exegesis of the text. Secondly, I have endeavoured to share some of the fruits of my reading. In seeking to understand the cross, one cannot ignore the great works of the past. To be disrespectful of tradition and of historical theology is to be disrespectful of the Holy Spirit who has been actively enlightening the Church in every century. Then, thirdly, I have tried to understand Scripture, not only in its own light and in the light of tradition, but also in relation to the contemporary world. I have asked what the cross of Christ says to us at the end of the twentieth century." (John Stott, The Cross of Christ, IVP, 1986, p17)

Farewell Dr Stott. Thank you for a life well lived.

conrade

On Fear-Hate Propaganda

Last Friday, a terrible act of terrorism was unleashed on a group of young people at a Youth camp in Norway. Dressed as a police officer, Anders Behring Breivik killed at least 76 people in Oslo. Initial reports suggest 91. The death toll has now been reduced to 76. It makes me wonder about the sensationalism tendencies of the press. What saddens me about the tragedy is not the killings per se, but the reasons behind the senseless act as well as the sentiments behind the news reporting. In fact, one bad revelation led to another. The killer claims himself to be a 'Christian,' 'conservative,' and sees his act as a personal crusade against Norway's open immigration policy. Some news reports suggest that Breivik is against "multi-culturalism, Islam and the "cultural Marxists" of the establishment." The Western press is quick to be up in arms not only against the tragic act, but also against 'right-wing' fundamentalism.

A) Be Wary of the Press

It is a common strategy used by some media to use the conservatives, the fundamentalist groups as a convenient whipping boy, especially in times like this. Such an agenda does not help mend ties. It separates. It instills hatred. It breeds distrust. It increases misunderstanding many times over. It funnels people who are vocal about their Christian faith (especially the Right) into a box called: "Damned if you do, Damned if you don't." It is not only unfair, but such efforts undermine peace, and understanding among people. It sways opinions to see the conservatives as 'enemies,' or to present another 'reason' why one should no longer trust the church.

The trouble is, the press is not as fair as it claims itself to be. One clue is not what is presented, but also what is NOT presented. For example, take the headlines of the AtlanticWire: "Christian Extremist Suspect in Norway's Massacre." why not just a 'terrorist,' or a 'madman?' Suppose Breivik is an atheist. Will the headlines become: "Extreme atheist suspect in Norway's massacre?" Likely not. It seems easier to stir up emotions by attacking Christians, and easier to leave atheists alone. Christian publications are careful to put the word 'fundamentalist' in bracket in their edition. They tread carefully to avoid agreeing or disagreeing with popular labels. Whatever it is, we need to be wary of what we read in the press. One person killed is already one too many, regardless of what one believes. It is simply unethical to paint any one group of religious people with the same brush that Breivik uses.

In other words, we cannot divide society by highlighting 'Christian extremist,' or 'Muslim fundamentalists,' or whatever types of stereotype image. Call the bad act what it deserves and not prefix it with whatever labels that can potentially damage the credibility of the religion or institution. There are good as well as not so good Muslims, Christians, or religious persons. Likewise, there are good Americans as well as not so good Americans. There are also good music and bad music, good food and bad food. Do not let one 'act' unfairly tarnish the image of the general group.

B) Fear Propaganda

Over the past few years, I have received emails, Youtube videos, and  fear messages from friends and loved ones. Some are about the rise of religions such as Islam and the secularists agenda. Others are about racial divide and hate propaganda disguised as 'warnings,' etc. Mind you, even among Christians, there are bad accusations by all groups on one another. For example, there are attacks against Barack Obama's faith as a Christian as well as counter-attacks. There are also fear-mongering videos that highlight a changing world that comprises more Muslims, and that the Western world will be drastically altered by 2050. There are also all kinds of conspiracy theories surrounding 911, and whether the financial crisis in the US has been carefully orchestrated by a few select individuals/groups.

I feel that such propaganda fuels more fear. Fear leads to avoidance. Avoidance leads to dislike. Dislike leads to Hate. Together, fear and hate spreads the erroneous messages far and wide, leading to disunity and distrust among people.

Personally, I do not like to forward such emails. Many of them end up being hoaxes or spams, created by some misguided people, but very efficiently distributed by the technologies of today.

C) What Can We Do?

Pray. Pray for the world. Pray for ourselves. Pray that we can discern God's leading in our lives to love people, regardless of labels like race, language, religion, sexual orientation, organizational links and so on. If God cares so much for all the people of the world, that He is willing to send Jesus to die for them, should we not, as children of God do likewise? Love people rather than principles. Love people rather than fear them. Love people by helping them tackle common problems, like cost of living, poverty, stress in daily life, marital problems, communications with people and so on. Let us busy ourselves with how to make the world a better place, instead of sending messages of doubt and fear.

Doubts inject unhealthy suspicions into any kinds of relationships. Love frees ourselves to let people be who they are, without us judging them. The next time, you get a hate mail, or something that conjures up fear of any sort, don't bother to read them. Don't even forward them to others. Do the next best thing. Delete. Perhaps, the best way to deal with fear and hate propaganda is to make this world a better place, one delete at a time.

conrade

Articles Roundup

Since early this month, I have been contributing to OurDailyJourney's collection of articles for the Christian public. ODJ is a ministry arm of the Radio Bible Class, famous for their Our Daily Bread series. Here is a list of my articles published there. Enjoy!

1) Free to Live and to Love (22 July 2011)

2) Spiritual Reading (18 July 2011)

3) Live Forward (13 July 2011)

4) On the Move (6 July 2011)


conrade

Free to Live and Love

I admit. I have been brought up in an environment that if one does not work, one shall not eat. The works-based philosophy of life has permeated so many cultures and societies such that it wears people down. Each vacation requires another vacation. Each coffee break makes us long for another one. Each leisure hour makes us yearn for more leisure hours. Working for one's wages has crept into our emotions as well. If one does not justify oneself adequately, one remains unjustified, in a world that appears to operate one default mode: "Undeserving unless proven otherwise."

If the waiters/waitresses fail to meet our minimal expectations, our minimal tip amount drops drastically. If the politicians fail to dish out what they have promised each end of the financial year, we threaten to vote them out of office. If we do not work hard enough to prepare for our school exams, we will fail to make the grade. Such a default lifestyle hems us into being miserly with our money, and stingy with our praises. Unless we produce results, our culture punishes accordingly. So conditional is such a lifestyle, that even for Christians, we have introduced this concept into our spiritual lives, making God into our own image. Desmond Tutu says it well.

"We too often feel that God's love for us is conditional like our love is for others. We have made God in our image rather than seeing ourselves in God's image. . . Ours is a culture of achievement, and we carry over these attitudes to our relationship with God. We work ourselves to a frazzle trying to impress everyone including God. . . We can believe that our relationship with God, our standing before God, has got nothing to do with our performance, our works." (Desmond Tutu, God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Times, NY: Image Doubleday, 2004, p32)

We need to be free to live and free to love. Such freedom is liberating. It makes one work not out of obligation, but out of liberation. Whatever work we choose to do, let us do it out of gratitude that we have the opportunity to do it in the first place. Let us give thanks to God, for the ability to work it. Let us be thankful that we can play a role in societies wherever we are in. Take a leaf from Paul's words to the Ephesians.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." (Col 3:23)

This we do, with a grateful heart freed to live, and to love. This is because the grace of God has freed us.

conrade