Last night “the boy” and I had the opportunity to attend THE Ohio State Buckeyes basketball game (thanks “D-Rich”). As we were making our way in with the rest of the crowd, we came up to a street corner flooded with people awaiting the chance to cross. Someone handed the boy a “Jesus Track” just as we saw 3 to 4 guys standing on the corner with large signs. One said something about “Hell being Hot” and that was about all I saw.
The light seemed to take about 45 minutes to change. I know this because there was a man standing there barking out “the gospel” through a bullhorn. The truth is, while what he was saying wasn’t necessarily wrong, the delivery left something to be desired. He talked about “eternity being forever” and “Hell being hot”. Much of what he said sounded like some strange camp where people are brainwashed by a voice that goes on and on and on. That’s when I began to wonder…
Has anyone ever been saved at the other end of a bullhorn?
Let me be clear here, I love this guys passion. I love his fearlessness and that he is willing to stand on a corner and share his faith with everyone. It’s more than I did last night. But I heard the other people talking on the corner. I heard the objections. I heard sarcastic remarks and people openly laughing at his statements. It saddened me on so many levels. While I appreciate his passion, I hate that this is how he was sharing the gospel.
The gospel and our faith is meant to be shared in a conversation. It comes when my story meets your story. It comes through my understanding what has shaped you and sharing what has shaped me. It’s not through threats or empty promises of riches and prosperity (earthly anyway). It’s being realistic that this life is hard. Faith is hard. Eternity is forever and so worth the trouble. Now that I think about it, maybe I should have skipped the game and sat down the with bullhorn guy and had a conversation too.
No one ever converted to Christianity because they lost the argument.
-Phillip Yancey
Your thoughts?
