Two The Hopeful Community

For Hauerwas the story and the new identity unearthed the violence stored in his soul; for Penn it was his pride. It will be different for each of us, but the point is that the integrity of the story remains true. The main point is that the story, and the identity it creates, must take the lead in changing our behavior and not the reverse, which is so common. In this world we determine identity on the basis of behavior, which leads to frustration and legalism. Again, Hauerwas explains it well: “The question ‘What ought I to be?’ precedes the question ‘What ought I to do?’ ” The order is crucial. The indicative (who we are) must precede the imperative (how we should live). To understand who we are, we have to realize that we are a people whose roots are from another world. That is precisely why we are so peculiar.

The often-quoted dictum attributed to Saint Francis is certainly true: “Preach the gospel wherever you go. When necessary, use words.” Our lives are preaching all of the time. This can be an intimidating thought, especially on those bad days when we grumble and whine. While we are not called to be perfect, we are called to be a witness to the larger story that has produced hope in us. Faith and love spring from hope. Let me explain how that works and then offer some examples of how we might improve our witness through our actions. The key, however, is remembering who we are (one in whom Christ dwells), where we live (in the unshakable kingdom of God) and to what we are destined (eternal glory with Jesus).

When I get out of bed tomorrow morning, I will arise with the sense that I am okay. More than okay, actually. The world around me, the one I step into when I leave my house, will tell me that my value and my worth are found in my abilities or performance. But I know better now. I have died to that old way. And I have risen with Jesus, who lives in me and loves me (Galatians 2:20). In other words, I am safe and secure. The old me that needs to compete, to impress, to dominate and to control has died. I am putting on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of Jesus (Colossians 3:10). So I don’t need to worry today, for example. I am at peace, because my life is securely hidden in Christ (Colossians 3:3). So I will set my mind and heart on the victory of Jesus, my Lord and King and Teacher, who has created me for something wonderful.

I once asked the legendary basketball coach—and wise witness to Jesus—John Wooden what he thinks about as he begins each day. He said, “I have this one thought: Make today a masterpiece.” That is the opportunity each of us has each day. We can make this day a masterpiece, something beautiful, extraordinary, magnificent and certainly peculiar. What exactly would that look like? In Paul’s epistle to the Romans he lists a number of ways we can demonstrate our hope in our relationships with one another:

This is one of my favorite sections in the Bible. It paints a picture of how we preach the gospel without words. What might that look like in a normal life? And what does it have to do with hope?

Today a friend of mine shared with me some difficult news. I listened carefully, and let him know that I am with him through this trial. He does the same for me, for we are “devoted to one another,” as Paul said. We don’t need to proclaim it; you could see it when we bowed our heads and prayed. We were able to laugh, even in the pain, because we are “joyful in hope.”

On Sunday our church invited people to stay after the service and fill boxes of food and clothing for the Haitian people, who had been devastated by a recent earthquake. They were “[sharing] with God’s people who are in need.” Two of my friends have begun befriending people at the homeless shelter. My friends have good jobs and good incomes and are highly educated, but in establishing these friendships they are “willing to associate with people of low position.” Not out of pity but out of love.

Remember the wisdom of Dallas Willard: “The true social activist is the person who lives as an apprentice of Jesus in his or her ordinary relationships.” It means living with a kingdom mind and heart in our marriages, with our parents and our children, with our coworkers, our neighbors and the guy at the hardware store who is blocking the aisle.

The new self lives in new ways, and this is seen—and smelled—by those around us. Paul said to the Corinthians, “We are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing” (2 Corinthians 2:15). But the aroma of Christ is not a cologne or perfume you can buy at the mall. There is no “Eau de Jesus” aftershave. However, when we tell the truth when it is hard, when we sit in the waiting room with a hurting and scared friend when we have pressing things to do, when we strive to stay in harmony with people who disagree with us, when we find a way to spend less so we can give more, when we offer a blessing to someone who curses at us, the essence of Jesus, who lives in and through us, is emerging.

I once ate, without knowing it, eight garlic cloves. I thought they were little, tasty potatoes sautéed in butter. When I got home that night and got in bed, the odor I was exuding was so strong that my wife shot up and said, “What did you eat?” “Some roast beef and little buttery potatoes,” I answered. “No, you ate garlic. Those little potatoes were garlic cloves.” I ended up sleeping on the couch. The next day I brushed my teeth twice, rinsed with mouthwash and chewed gum. During church she leaned over and said, “You still smell like garlic.” The problem was that it was in my system, in my blood and in my lungs, and coming out of my pores. I think of that story when I think about being the aroma of Christ. When we know and live and breathe the truth that we are people indwelt by Christ, the reality of Jesus is in our lungs and on our lips and in our pores. We cannot help it. Fortunately, unlike garlic, when people catch the scent of Jesus on us—through our actions—they don’t ask us to move away. They usually want to know the reason for our hope.

While our actions speak the loudest, we are also called on to share the gospel of hope in words. Peter wrote to the early Christians, “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15-16).

There is a lot of wisdom in this verse. First, Peter encourages us to be prepared. This assumes that we have spent some time thinking about the four-part story and reflecting on how to share that story if and when it is needed. I love the next phrase: an accounting for the hope that is in you. That is all people really need to hear. They don’t want a lengthy explanation about the authority of the Bible or why the Muslims are wrong. They just want to know what happened to you, how you got caught up in a new story and a new set of practices.

The last phrase is also a gem: do it with gentleness and reverence. Far too often people share their faith with harshness and condescension. Some Christians act like arrogant bullies when they evangelize, and it is always counterproductive. How do we give the reason for our hope with gentleness and reverence? By telling our story. It is difficult to argue with your story, and no one but you can tell that story. It is the story of your own life, how you became aware of the larger story of Jesus and how your life was written into that story, so that Jesus’ story is now your story as well. That is the gentle way. The respectful way is to do so only when people are interested. Timing is important. In addition to being gentle, we also need to be patient. Jesus told his disciples, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16 kjv).

Dallas Willard once quoted this verse and then asked me, “What is the ‘wisdom of the serpent’?” I had actually never thought about it, though I knew the verse well, even in the King James Version that Dallas had practically memorized. “Well, have you ever seen a snake chase someone?” I answered no. He said, “That is because the wisdom of the serpent is to wait until someone comes to them.”

Of course, we are not trying to kill or bite anyone, which is why Jesus adds being harmless as doves. Doves are about as harmless as you can get. They are even symbols of peace. When we combine the wisdom of the serpent and gentleness of the dove, we have found the right approach to evangelism. Frank Laubach waited nearly a year before speaking to the people he had come to evangelize in the Philippines. He simply did his work faithfully and kept his mind on things above. In time the Muslim leaders told the people, “Go spend time with that man. He knows God.” He waited and was gentle. He also respected the people and cared for them by teaching them how to read. Laubach was a man of hope, and from that hope sprang faith and love.

My wife and I both teach, but on different sides of town. Each day at 4:10 p.m. I pick up my daughter, Hope at her elementary school. I leave the university a few minutes before 4:00, and on my way out I usually see three or four people who know me. They will say, “Headin’ out for the day?” and I reply, “Yeah, I have to go get Hope.” Each time I say that I smile. I have to get Hope. On one level that is true. I am going to pick up a little girl by that name. On another level it is also true. She is the embodiment of hope for my wife and me, a living reminder that God is worth trusting, which is why we named her Hope in the first place. On another level it is also true that I am going to get hope because hope is what I live by. It is where my roots are planted. But in another sense it is entirely not true. I don’t get hope; hope has gotten ahold of me. Every day I get a chance to make a masterpiece, each brushstroke of faith and love witnessing to the God who overcame death and in his great mercy offers that eternal life to you and to me. That hope is alive and will never die.

Who should you witness to? What are the criteria in deciding who to share your faith with and when to share it? And finally, how do we go about it? As noted in this chapter, we are always witnessing, whether we know it or not. People are watching us, and our actions communicate something, for good or for ill. Having said that, I want to offer an exercise that will help us when we become more intentional about reaching out to others and drawing them into the life of faith. There are seven activities I have found helpful in the process, some of which will look different depending on our current relationship with the person we are witnessing to. If we know the person well, and he or she already trusts us, we can move more quickly through the process, even jumping all the way to the last act. Still, all of the previous parts are necessary because they remind us that we are not doing this alone but are relying on God at every juncture.

The first thing we can do is pray for God to send us someone. This is a powerful prayer that nearly always gets answered, and soon. The Holy Spirit is far wiser and more knowledgeable than we are. He knows the needs of those we know. Pray not only for God to send those people your way, pray also that you would have eyes and ears to know it when they come. Perhaps there is a person who is already on your heart. Pray for that person and for God to create an opportunity to take a step toward faith sharing.

Once you have prayed, keep watch. Ask God regularly, “Help me see who you are bringing me. Give me eyes of compassion. Let me know who it is and when I can take the next step.” Remember the wisdom of the serpent.

Once you have a sense about who that person is and have sensed God preparing the relationship, find ways to reach out to the person in nonthreatening ways. Ask him or her to have coffee or to go to lunch. If this person is already someone you spend time with, reach out by asking nonthreatening yet searching questions, such as “How are you feeling about life right now? What is working? What is missing?” If you do not know the person well, these questions will be too personal. Keep the conversation at a more basic level, but keep listening for clues to their heart.

Listen well. This is so seldom done in our harried and hurried culture that it almost seems like a lost skill. Simply by listening you are demonstrating love. Listen for clues to the condition of the person’s heart. What is he or she longing for? Struggling with? The best thing to ask yourself privately is, “Where do I think God is working in this person’s life?” It may be healing from a divorce, the joy of a new job or the grief of losing a loved one. Whatever it is, try to discover what the person cares about.

It is at this stage that your understanding of the gospel (our God reigns and our God is with us) comes into play. If you have discerned what is pressing on the person’s heart, try to connect his or her situation with the message of the gospel. Let’s say you sense that a friend is struggling with grief over the loss of a loved one. Ask yourself, How does the gospel apply to her (or his) situation? There are many ways, but three come to mind: first, Jesus defeated death; second, God stands with us in our darkness; and third, God can do great things through our pain.

If the relationship is strong enough to bear it, you may want to make those connections verbally by asking questions such as, “What is giving you hope right now? What keeps you going?” If the person is open, you will probably get a long answer. Try to continue making connections between the person’s condition and the good news you know, without preaching. You are in a dialogue at this stage. At some point you might be able to more explicitly draw the connection between what is happening in his or her life and what God has done and will do.

At some point you might be asked to tell your story or share your thoughts. If that happens, do not be afraid. There are some false narratives that prevent people from sharing their faith.

While each of these is worth examining, let me simply say this: God is not asking us to be perfect or have all of the answers. God is asking us to invite people into an interactive life with the Trinity. The kingdom is not in trouble, as I like to say. It does not need a PR expert. The kingdom is just waiting for people to give it a chance. Please forgive my nonpastoral tone, but I would simply say, “Get over it. Let go of your inhibitions.”

Remember Peter’s advice: “Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15-16).

What I love about this verse is that it does not say, “You must go to seminary and study systematic theology, church history, apologetics and philosophy. Only then will you be fit to witness.” It simply says, “Be prepared to tell people why you have hope—and do it with gentleness and respect.”

This means explaining how the message of the gospel has intersected your life. This is not a time to explain. Just tell your story, how you came to know God, how God has been at work in your life. Be honest. Let the person know that you are not perfect, that you have struggled, but you nonetheless have put your confidence in God. One way to help you do this is to memorize the verses from Colossians in the section of this chapter titled “The Four-Part Story of Hope.” The more you become familiar with that four-part story and how it is your story, the more you will be able to articulate your message of hope.

At a certain point in your relationship, invite the person to join with you and other Christ-followers in some capacity. It may be in church. This is usually not very threatening, but it can be for some. You might want to invite him or her to spend time with you and some of your Christian friends in a social setting (dinner or a movie), and perhaps even a small group Bible study. Some people find it less threatening to be with a group of five or six in a home than in a church with five hundred strangers. Another idea is to invite your friend to join you and other apprentices in a service project. This can be a powerful witness.

Above all, keep praying for this person. And be prepared for it to take time. The average time between when someone first begins seeking and when he or she actually makes a commitment of faith is twenty-eight months. At a certain point you should invite the person to church or help him or her find a church. Though we may experience a key moment we call conversion, in truth we go through many conversions and develop new facets of our life with God, and the church is the only place that can do this. Finally, trust God. The journey this person is on will have twists and turns you and I could never imagine, just as mine did. God will bring the right people at the right time. For now, you are privileged to be one person on that journey, telling your story and pointing your friend to the God who reigns.