Tired from a good day of ministry, I was ready to return to my hotel room. “But we have one more meeting,” my national partner protested. It was past midnight and I was wondering why this couldn’t wait until tomorrow when everyone would be more alert for the conversation.
Coffee at 1:00 AM, Really!?
She informed me that this man just finished his work and had been anticipating a meeting with someone that night who might know the answers to his questions about Christianity. He had already asked many people many questions in his quest and was close to believing she said.
My friend prevailed upon me and I went to this coffee shop in Asia about 1:00 a.m. to meet with David, a lawyer. There ended up being four of us--two women (national partners) and two men (a lawyer friend of theirs and me).
Keep the Coffee Coming
He spoke no English, and I didn’t speak his language. Translation in the middle of the night is no easy task for anyone involved, especially translators. Coffee helps everyone. This translation barrier seemed to disappear quickly as he was so excited to meet and talk, and he was used to translation in his line of work.
It wasn’t long before I found myself enjoying this new friendship. We had a lot in common being about the same age, having children similar ages and both challenged by our life-stage issues, though from different cultural perspectives.
Well into the second pot of coffee, David shared some of his marriage problems with me and how they had led him to ask questions regarding the ultimate meaning of life. We talked some about the practicalities of marriage and family. But it was obvious he wanted to talk more about God, the universal human condition and the value of religion and philosophy.
Coffee as a Gospel Partner
It was time for a third pot of the strong black coffee. God was working on his mind and pushing him to consider the claims of Jesus Christ. He had been in a few conversations earlier with my national ministry partner and her newly believing friend, who was the one who had originally shared with this man and set up this meeting.
David and I also found out we shared similar academic interests. We talked about a few classical philosophical questions from Plato and the Western tradition. We talked about Nietzsche’s theories and some from other atheists.
Don’t be impressed, in reality, we talked about what each of us could remember from our college days, nothing too deep and academic; but it was no less real and practical for our lives. And I shared my story of coming to Christ out of atheism and self-righteousness, how I used to believe Christianity was for the weak and how I was that “superman” of Nietzsche’s.
Then, I introduced him to a few of my favorite quotations from Augustine and the Bible. These seemed to hold special meaning to him, though I was honestly getting very tired and sharing only what came to mind, mostly by the Holy Spirit I believe.
Coffee and Prayer to the End
During the quotation and question exchanges I realized my role was to ask good questions and throw out good ideas. I couldn’t do too much more because of the language barrier. My Christian partners knew what to do and eagerly used everything I gave them, and probably took the conversation much deeper than I could. Honestly, I felt like all I did was drink coffee and pray a lot.
Many times during the evening my ministry partners themselves were amazed at what God was doing upon this man’s mind and soul. We would talk on the side, smile and pray silently with delight. David was basically answering all his own questions, reasoning from the Scripture and apologetics we gave him, to convert himself!
We all turned down the fourth pot of coffee. At this time David announced to us that he believed in Jesus Christ. It was that simple for him. He got his questions answered and it all made sense to him, that this was the true revelation from heaven, salvation for him and the hope of the whole human race. He looked satisfied and at soul-rest.
Two Lives Changed
My friend David grew in his faith and became active in his house-church community. Last I heard, about four years ago, his wife is yet to believe and he is doing his best to love and serve her as a Christian husband. He wants her to experience the same forgiveness of sins and hope of eternal life.
It is hard to convey the impact of that evening on all four of us. For me personally, I have never seen the Holy Spirit so powerfully do His work on a person with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I am convinced that I was there to just watch, wonder and delight at God’s power actively saving a person. What was obviously true that early morning is true every time we share the Gospel, even when we are given a more instrumental role in brining people to salvation in Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:5–9 ESV “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.”
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