Evangelism Ranting and Raving

Andres and I went out visiting today. We had some run-of-the-mill visits—the kind where someone says to you that they go to such and such church (they don’t) or they’re a member of a church in a town far away (so not really caring about God is ok as long as you are a member of a church far away) or they can worship God on the golf course or fishing as well as they can in a church (you can’t). I generally pound these types. To the first, I let them stumble as they try to make up a name for the pastor of the church they “go to.” To the second, I ask them how often they get to the far away town, and why do they go far away as if the gospel is not presented anywhere but the Apostolic Church of the Narrowdoor in Sharkey, KY. And to the third I ask them if they believe in the Bible. Of course, they do. Then I point out Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing.”

Then there are some honest types. As Andres and I were walking along, he mentioned that he thought it was easier to work with someone who flat out denies Christ or religion than it is to deal with the person who “believes.” Just as he finished saying that we meet a woman we’ll call “Anne.” Anne was outside her house putting her baby in a stroller. I said “Hi,” and she was friendly enough. When I said we were from church she said that she and her husband did not go to church. When I asked why she said it was because they did not believe in “organized religion.” I said truth be told, we’re pretty disorganized. She smiled and we were in.

She mentioned that she did not like wars and churches were part of that. She said she did not like one group thinking it had the truth (there was so much to mine in this visit, I did not even say to her my usual response, something like that “is it true that it’s bad to think you have the truth as opposed to others?”) The end result was that she said that they like to go out in nature and look at all God had made. Anyway, they have a cool garden and I mentioned our garden and she lit up. “I heard about that and wondered who was doing it. The neighbor across the street told me about it.” I said I’d be glad to bring them some produce. She said excitedly, “We’ll come work with you in the garden.”

As Andres and I were processing the fruit of the day’s visits, he asked an interesting question. With so many people who reject God or play around with him, how can we say, “God Bless America?” Good question. It’s tough to have deep discussions across our language barrier, but we try. Andres talked a bit about the American future and made a downward motion with his hand.

I think I have found another litmus test for conservative or liberal theology. I usually use Leviticus. Conservatives love chapter 18, hate 25. Liberals the other way around. You have to take both. No picking and choosing. Well, after thinking about what Andres said, it hit me. There are some people who think God won’t bless America because we are at war in Iraq, and somehow because of our “superpower status” we are Babylon or Rome or whatever. Maybe so, but I rarely hear the same folks say we’re going downhill because of the people I meet on the streets who have no regard for the Lord.

Maybe we could go further and say if your commitment to justice means agitating for government sponsored programs to erase poverty or some such, but you claim that there should be separation of church and state (no prayer in school, for example) then you can’t honor God. He wants Justice and Worship. Not one or the other. I had a guy tell me that the message of the Cross is subversive to American power. I can agree if while at the same time we ask for legislation that comes from our faith that we ask for their to be evangelists and chaplains paid by the government… “You shall have no other gods before me.” Or perhaps we should stay away from Caesar altogether lest the blood that stains his hands stains ours as well.

Who says evangelism is boring, outdated, or something for weirdos with tents in the backs of their pickups? It touches serious issues when you realize that if you really want to be a friend, a neighbor, you’ll have to call sinners to repentance.