This is the only session of Living The Word which I missed (due to fever). However, it is not hard to do some reflections on this thing call evangelism. Evangelism is a scary word if one abuse it. One can be too bended on evangelising until they missed the whole point. To me, it is not about ‘recruiting’. It is about doing what we think is best for the one we are trying to evangelise.
This reminds me of a remark made by a religious person. She said that “I am so surprised that he will come down and pray.” Her remarks and the expression on her other ‘colleagues’ freaked me out. OMG, have I done something wrong?
I was probably naive in thinking that what I did, i.e. asking FF to go down to the ward with me to pray WITH me for a person I know, is just a simple act. To me, it is just a simple, “Hey, FF, is it ok for you do do that for me?” (because it was him who find the way for me and so, I look up to his act of affirming what I am doing) I didn’t know that it is a big deal for FF to go down because he was cool about it.
It is good that my naivety has overstepped some boundaries because the person whom we prayed with is so keen to find out who Jesus is. Few days later, she told me that she prayed to Jesus when she had a breakdown just before one of her many treatments.
“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders;make the most of every opportunity.” Collosians 4:5
If I have hang-ups on doing what is right, what is within the acceptable rules and what the others (religious folks) expected of me, then, I probably missed introducing to the patient our Christians generousity.
Days after that prayers, she kept telling others how blessed she is because a priest came to her to pray with her. Of course, she is not a Christian but she was the one who wanted a prayer. She told the nurses, her relatives and just about anyone who cares to listen that a priest went out of his way to pray for her. I am touched that my little gesture of asking FF and FF carefree way of doing it make things so much more simpler and yet, effective.
So, in conclusion, evangelising will come naturally when we are not too focussed on ‘hitting our targets’. God will find us the way and means. Religion is not a competition and neither it is a bonus points mission.
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