Of all the concepts and terms in Christian Spirituality that get misused, abused, and misunderstood, I'd have to put my money on 'evangelism' being at the top of that list. I don't have the first delusion that I'd be able to dispell all of the misunderstanding surrounding this very volitile word but I've been thinking lately about some useful images that might help convey the true meaning of what evangelism is as best I understand it.
The images I was thinking of are the fisherman, the farmer, and the carpenter. Each of them has a method to what they do that illustrates an important point about evangelism. They each also have a primary tool that we will use as well, in a metaphorical sense. And it probably goes without saying that all I've really done is shamelessly steal images that Jesus used in his teachings 2000 years ago.
First, the fisherman. What I like about the fisherman is that he (or she) is smart enough to know that fish are not prone to simply jump into his boat without him making an effort to draw them in. The fisherman has to go where the fish are because it simply will not happen the other way around. The fisherman's primary tool is the net which he casts out and then draws back in. Whatever fish happen upon the net as its being drawn back in are drawn in with it.
Much like the fisherman, the church will starve to death if it expects the majority of people that are not yet Christian to suddenly realize their need and show up at our door. There are cases where this happens but it remains a faulty assumption. Much like a fisherman's net, we use relationship, a network of friendships, to draw people into Christian community where they can see the Gospel at work in peoples' lives.
I hope to write more before the weekend about the next two images, the farmer and the carpenter. But until then, please post your thoughts on this first image, I would really appreciate your input. This is a series of images I hope to develop into a helpful tool for teaching effective evangelism.
2 comments :
testing something
Get fishy with it.
That analogy is awesome that you made Dr. Snook. I really enjoy the physical art of fishing myself. The smell of the stream/lake, the peaceful time to collect thoughts as I wade into the cool water, and the small rocks that fly by my head from little kids on the shore...wait. Not the last one. On a serious note, I think patience is an important part of being a fisher of fish and a fisher of men. Jesus was the master at the patience issue. I am no master at all. More like...always a student.
I'm anxious to here about the farmer and carpenter.
Toodily Woodily.
(That is 'Martian' for have a happy day....and if it isn't...ask JD...he knows all kinds of 'Spacey' languages.)
-Colbey
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