They started laughing at us before we even got to the most difficult part of the Gospel.
What triggered it was an explanation of God’s creation, specially how He made human beings in His own image, different from all other living beings.
Made in God’s Image
As we did often in this part of southeast Asia, we entered a village found a group of friendly people, and directed the conversation to spiritual matters. According to plan, we started with the first verse in the Bible and explained who God is as the Creator.
You know how the story goes, but they didn’t. There is one all-powerful God who made the heavens and the earth. He made inanimate things, living beings, but He uniquely made humanity in His own image with a soul and in relationship with Himself.
There were some animals nearby. So, we used them as a contrasting example. People have souls that will live eternally. As soon as we mentioned this, the uproar of laughter began. I was waiting for the ridicule to come a little later in the conversation, honestly.
They went on and on about how our God, the Creation story and our view of people was ludicrous. We learned that this village had been strongly influenced by atheism replacing their heritage of animism, and seeing all religious views as nothing more than superstitious.
Obviously to them we all die alike and that was that. They paused in silence to see what we would say next, staring at each of us on the team, waiting expectantly for more laughable material.
We talked about the advantages we have over cattle and chickens, of course. We went on to talk about our moral and relational capacities, and especially the matter of our spiritual relationship to God and our responsibilities as stewards of His Creation.
They listened politely, probably surprised that we weren’t shaken by their attempt to humiliate us. After explaining much more about the character of God and His actions in the world, we landed upon the most important historical matters of the incarnation, life, death, resurrection, reign and return of Jesus Christ.
Yes, we talked about all of that, and with new courage they helped inspire by their opposition. However, that was the end of the twenty minute exchange with these twenty people. They took the Gospel materials, even though they were not that interested.
Kids Swinging from a Tree
We were headed down the street debriefing our experience when we happened upon a large tree with young children swinging from ropes tied to its branches. We stopped to talk with them, and within minutes many of the children from the previous encounter showed up wanting to know more about God.
We had some video CDs with us that dramatized the Creation and Redemption stories. So we gave out a few of them to the older children who appeared to be the leaders. But in front of everyone we made them agree to the condition that they had to show them to all the families of the village.
They thought about it and talked about it among themselves for a minute and agreed. Then, immediately one of them led us to a house right away. Children often make for great evangelists. We thought we were done in this village, but apparently not yet.
Once inside and having met everyone we watched one of the videos together. At least we weren’t laughed at this time. After the movie, we ended up sharing a small meal together, talking a little about the movie (they weren’t that interested) and simply enjoying one another as people created in God’s image.
My experience in that village that day increased my love for humanity, all people made in God’s image—yet, fallen and in need of healing and redemption in Jesus Christ. I still find myself praying for those people by face, that the Lord would use those Gospel materials (and maybe other messengers of His) to cause them to see and understand the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ.
What triggered it was an explanation of God’s creation, specially how He made human beings in His own image, different from all other living beings.
Made in God’s Image
As we did often in this part of southeast Asia, we entered a village found a group of friendly people, and directed the conversation to spiritual matters. According to plan, we started with the first verse in the Bible and explained who God is as the Creator.
You know how the story goes, but they didn’t. There is one all-powerful God who made the heavens and the earth. He made inanimate things, living beings, but He uniquely made humanity in His own image with a soul and in relationship with Himself.
There were some animals nearby. So, we used them as a contrasting example. People have souls that will live eternally. As soon as we mentioned this, the uproar of laughter began. I was waiting for the ridicule to come a little later in the conversation, honestly.
They went on and on about how our God, the Creation story and our view of people was ludicrous. We learned that this village had been strongly influenced by atheism replacing their heritage of animism, and seeing all religious views as nothing more than superstitious.
Obviously to them we all die alike and that was that. They paused in silence to see what we would say next, staring at each of us on the team, waiting expectantly for more laughable material.
We talked about the advantages we have over cattle and chickens, of course. We went on to talk about our moral and relational capacities, and especially the matter of our spiritual relationship to God and our responsibilities as stewards of His Creation.
They listened politely, probably surprised that we weren’t shaken by their attempt to humiliate us. After explaining much more about the character of God and His actions in the world, we landed upon the most important historical matters of the incarnation, life, death, resurrection, reign and return of Jesus Christ.
Yes, we talked about all of that, and with new courage they helped inspire by their opposition. However, that was the end of the twenty minute exchange with these twenty people. They took the Gospel materials, even though they were not that interested.
Kids Swinging from a Tree
We were headed down the street debriefing our experience when we happened upon a large tree with young children swinging from ropes tied to its branches. We stopped to talk with them, and within minutes many of the children from the previous encounter showed up wanting to know more about God.
We had some video CDs with us that dramatized the Creation and Redemption stories. So we gave out a few of them to the older children who appeared to be the leaders. But in front of everyone we made them agree to the condition that they had to show them to all the families of the village.
They thought about it and talked about it among themselves for a minute and agreed. Then, immediately one of them led us to a house right away. Children often make for great evangelists. We thought we were done in this village, but apparently not yet.
Once inside and having met everyone we watched one of the videos together. At least we weren’t laughed at this time. After the movie, we ended up sharing a small meal together, talking a little about the movie (they weren’t that interested) and simply enjoying one another as people created in God’s image.
My experience in that village that day increased my love for humanity, all people made in God’s image—yet, fallen and in need of healing and redemption in Jesus Christ. I still find myself praying for those people by face, that the Lord would use those Gospel materials (and maybe other messengers of His) to cause them to see and understand the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment