Sharing Clean Water

Last week we talked about reframing the way the church thinks about evangelism: moving away from thinking of people as projects and toward recognizing their humanity. It sounds pretty basic when written plainly like that. Of course a person is a person (no matter how small —Dr. Seuss), how could Christians forget that when one of the most basic commands Jesus gave was to love your neighbor?

As per the last blog, it’s unfortunately easy. Emphasizing conversions can lead to giving the numbers too much weight—this ministry group converted ten people last week, but that outreach team did fifteen, and so on. It’s a slippery slope to thinking that so long as someone prays Jesus into their heart, they’re good.

But we’re relational creatures.

And playing by the “gotcha!” framework of just getting people to pray isn’t very relational. I mean, Jesus was incredibly relational. He was making friends and enemies everywhere he went, taking the time to stop and chat even when it frustrated and confused his disciples. And the overwhelming message of those chats?

I forgive you. I love you.

So, if we’re going to reframe what it means to share the Gospel, then what implications does that have for the evangelical church? How are we then supposed to share the Good News with our religiously diverse friends, neighbors, community members, and strangers?

Let’s start with a story.

I have a friend, Heather (not her real name). Heather grew up in a house that discouraged talk about religion, and so she came to adulthood knowing little to nothing about Christianity. When she first started coming to my small group with her boyfriend, she was very overwhelmed with the enormity of the Bible. For a while, she had a hard time sitting down for our discussions, because she simply didn’t have the knowledge that the rest of us had. So for weeks, the small group leaders would meet with her to answer any questions she had, and give her a crash course in the Gospel. And when she decided it was too much, they were happy to let it go.

Church was even more overwhelming for Heather. All the worship, the prayer time, and communion felt like it was above her paygrade (even if theologically, it wasn’t, because Christ welcomes all). So when she decided to stop coming to church for an indeterminate time, no one gave her a hard time about it. She’s still welcome in our small group. Because we love her.

When Heather and I go shopping, catch a movie, or have dinner, I don’t try to pressure her to come back to church. I also don’t bring up Jesus unless she asks a question or I feel prompted by the Holy Spirit. Because my friendship with Heather is based on the fact that I like her, and she’s a sweet person! She’s fun to talk to, we have similar interests, and she’s a good listener.

So while I obviously would love her to love the Jesus I love, it’s not a condition of our friendship.

Reframing what it means to share the Gospel in an evangelical context looks like valuing the person in front of you above an agenda. It means asking the Holy Spirit to help guide you in conversation. It means being aware of someone else, whether it’s because they’re your friend, family member, or stranger who has a shared worth and humanity with you. This relational way of thinking about evangelism is human-centered, and recognizes that each person is utterly unique and utterly valuable—they aren’t just another ‘win’ or a completed project.

This helps me think about evangelism as something that naturally pours out of my life because of my love for Jesus.

I’m not going to be quiet about my faith; but neither will I view it as a way to get people across the finish line. Trying to be involved in what the Spirit is already doing in my neighborhood and in my life means I really see the people around me, as much as I can. God is continually trying to reveal the overlooked and invisible to me, whoever that may be. So by remaining intentional and relational, hopefully, I’m more open to those opportunities.

I want to be the kind of person who drinks of the Water of Life, and lays beside the clean, quiet waters that the Psalms promise. I also want to be the kind of person who can share this water in a way that draws me closer to others.

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