When I first came to Christ and for many years after, I made it a point to share my faith at every turn. In fact, I would often turn otherwise benign conversations into an opportunity for the Gospel. And because of such efforts, I led many people to Christ. Through the years, however, I have become much more passive in this regard. It's not that I don't share my faith anymore, only that I am not nearly as intentional with strangers as I used to be.
That's why a recent experience was so personally inspiring.
On Saturday, October 19, I boarded a flight at 6:00 a.m. bound for Chicago on my way to Boston. As it turned out, the plane was delayed and we sat on the ground for about an hour due to a computer malfunction. I'm not kidding; after some investigation, the pilot told us we would be able to fly that day, but only after the sun came out! There are probably better ways to inspire confdence from the cockpit, don't you think?!
Anyway, as I happily entertained myself with a Sudoku puzzle, I soon noticed the woman (mid-50s) sitting next to me had nothing to read. In fact, at one point she lamented the fact that "of all days," she had packed her books in her luggage. So after reading the airline magazine and browsing the inflight shopping guide, she asked me how to play Sudoku and we struck up a conversation. At the "twenty-minute lull," however, it hit me. I had a book in my backpack she could read; it just happened, though, to be my own book ... my own first copy which had only arrived the day before.
At first, I resisted the temptation to share it with her for fear that it might seem self-promoting, etc. But then, I wondered ... perhaps she is not a believer and who knows, maybe there will be an opportunity to talk with her about Jesus.
And so I asked, "Do you like personal stories of life-change or transformation?" She said that she did and then, pointing her to such accounts at the end of each chapter, I handed her the book. In so doing, I did not at all call attention to the fact that I was the book's author. However, she began to read the introduction and after a while, somehow put it together.
"Is this you? she asked. "Are you the author?" Thus began a discussion about things much deeper than Sudoku!
To make a long story short, I shared Christ with the woman all the way to Chicago. And just as the plane was landing, this woman invited Christ into her life! "Though I have been to church in the past, I never heard such things before," she told me. "No one has ever explained this to me."
While only God knows for sure, from everything I could tell, this was a very authentic and uncoerced confession of faith. And since the woman and her husband live in the Little Rock area, I am hoping to see her at Mosaic soon.
But beyond what God did in her life that morning, it is what God did - or more specifically, rekindled - in me that day that stands out in reflection. Have I become so engrossed in the doing of all things spiritual that I too often neglect being spiritual myself? Though I am now a recognized leader of others, am I still eager to recognize and respond to the Holy Spirit's leadership in my own life, as well?
Good questions for me to address. Good ones, perhaps, for you to consider, as well.
Indeed, this is why I am so passionate about the multi-ethnic church, i.e., it's unique power and potential to advance the Gospel among the lost and disenfranchised on the 21st century. This is what it's all about! And through this experience, I have been reminded not to neglect individually what I am pusuing with others corporately; namely, evangelism. I hope you have been, too.
Great and challenging post. I can relate. I have got to remember that part of leadership in the spiritual realm is putting down my to-do list long enough to do and be what I should. I find that much easier for me to do at Mosaic than churches I've been before, but it is still a struggle.
An organization will begin to look like the leader. I have to remember that in my organizations.
Posted by: allen | October 31, 2007 at 05:11 PM