You Can Tell Someone About Jesus

During this coronavirus pandemic, most everyone is thinking about a scary illness and possible death.  Some have already been touched by the loss of someone to this new viral infection  Injury, illness, and death are always all around us, reminding us that life and health, in this world, tend to pass quickly, as Isaiah says:  “The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass.”  Isaiah also reminds us that some things last forever, particularly God’s Word.  As we face the unavoidable reality of our own mortality, it should inspire us to grab onto the things that last.

I can think of no greater tragedy than to lose someone we love for all eternity.  In fact, I regard the loss of anyone, however troubled in this world, as dreadfully sad.  Sin corrupts each of us, some in more open and unpleasant ways, but the cause is the same.  No one is inherently evil; every one of us is a creature made in God’s image but fallen from that high estate because of sin.  The man or woman I may despise for some earthly wrong is a sinner for the same reason as I, and it is wise for us to consider what precious soul lies beneath the burden of their sin, a precious soul that God loves, as He does each of us.

Still, I understand the person who is reluctant to offer the gift of grace to an enemy or a person who has hurt them deeply.  I don’t so easily understand those who simply don’t bother, who are too busy with their own affairs, or who have too little love to care about the many lost souls around them, perhaps even some they love dearly.  In writing that, I must confess I don’t so easily understand myself.

I think many of us avoid sharing the gospel because we feel inadequate.  People ask hard questions.  They react to our faith with scorn and skepticism.  They may even mock us.  We may have bought into the idea that “religion is a private matter,” an idea that the unreligious and unbelieving use to silence people of faith; unfortunately, it often works.  We may even conclude that those who really want to believe will find their way to Jesus without our help, except Paul tells us plainly that they need a preacher.

I have been thinking and writing about this, for some time.  In another posting, I discuss things that make the task easier and suggest ways to help get the job done.  To start, we just need to do it, to recognize that is doable, and to understand that as “sheep,” it’s our job to reproduce.  Just remember, that reproducing is the most natural process in the world.  It is a matter of life producing more life, and the life of Christ in each of us is sufficient to spark new life in another.

Yes, we do need to learn.  Gaining knowledge and skills will give us more tools, increase our understanding, and enable us to answer questions more effectively.  It is regrettable that, in an “information age,” so many of us despise the skills necessary to use the abundant information available.  If someone asks a question, and if I don’t readily know the answer or have sources readily in mind, I only have to Google it, and I will often be able to access precisely the information I need.

Of course, there are those who will tell you that the wealth of information makes our job harder.  They will imply that most of the available information is contrary to our beliefs, but that isn’t true.  If you believe, as I do, that the gospel is truth, the one accurate message of reality straight from the One who created it, then no amount of information will ever overwhelm it.

In truth, the task is easier today than ever.  We have an abundance of resources to draw on.  Given the deep problems and prevalent concerns about our economy, we have a great opportunity, as well.  When things are going well, people dare to rely on their earthly wealth for security, at least until reminded of their own mortality,  When things are bad, and they don’t get much worse than terrorist threats, a viral pandemic, or economic disaster, then people may be ready to look to something more basic and more reliable than this earth can provide. In this environment, and with these plentiful sources of helpful information, we can tell someone about Jesus.