gospel

I used to think Christians have a monopoly on truth. I thought that only we could see the world as it truly is. But I have since come to realize that most humans are on the same page. We all have a deep awareness of the fact that this world–and the people in it–is capable of beauty and extreme horror. And I think we all know that something needs to be done in order for the beauty to redeem the horror. I do think that Christians hold the final piece to the puzzle, the part that says Jesus and proclaims a God who died and rose again in humble love for a rebellious people. But there are people all over the planet, holding to all sorts of religions, who see the other pieces of the puzzle. Continue reading →

Growing up in conservative Christianity, I attended an annual conference where I learned to share my faith so that strangers might convert and find salvation in Jesus Christ in less than two minutes. I’ve changed the way I share my faith, but I don’t want to ignore the fact that some good things came from this conference.

Most importantly, condensing my faith into a two-minute speech did help me conceptualize the basic framework of Christianity by highlighting the overarching story revealed in the Bible. The weekend retreats also provided an opportunity for me to combine faith and fun as my friends and I goofed off and worshiped simultaneously. And because God is good, I know he used our efforts to bring hope and even salvation to some people’s lives.

The details of the conference were solid. The big picture, however, is where I now disagree. I was taught an evangelism tactic that was based in fear and presented as a formula. Today, I try to share my faith out of love in the midst of relationships. Continue reading →