The quiet alternative to 'going and telling'

Scripture Verse that Caught My Attention Today: Luke 7:47 Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.”

Observation: And when we love little, we tend to impose a lot.

Application: I haven’t read the book yet—haven’t even bought it—but I’ve read a couple of reviews and watched an interview Len Sweet did on his new book on evangelism called “Nudge.” By that he means that Christians would be well-advised to spend less time “going and telling” and spend more time “shutting up and listening.” He believes that evangelism is not so much about us bringing Jesus to people (which is rather arrogant, by the way, to assume that WE take Jesus rather than the other way around) but rather, us going to where Jesus already is, taking note of what Jesus may already be doing, and then helping nudge people to perhaps make those connections. At the same time, we too are nudged to see the workings of God.

I’m not sure if that’s the whole story of evangelism; some have indeed benefited from others “going and telling.” But Len’s point is still very much worth taking to heart. When we feel like we’ve got all the answers, our gratitude for being forgiven, if we even feel it at all, tends to get hidden as we self-righteously try to impose our own will on others—often under the pretense of it being ‘God’s will.’

On the other hand, when we recognize how much we ourselves have yet to learn, we tend to be a whole lot more gracious, a whole lot more inquisitive, and a whole lot more able to show, like the woman Jesus praised in the story above, “great love.”

Prayer: Lord, these days there are many within both religion and politics that try to powerfully impose their own will upon others. Help us to love them and care for them and want the best for them, but not be too quick to follow suit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Scripture Readings today included: Ezra 1, Psalm 84-85, and Luke 7)