Whoever believes...

Why is it that ministers as a rule have few if any personal friendships with non Christians?  Why are we okay with this?  Can a pastor really encourage others in his church to build relationships with non Christians in order to win them to Christ if he has no friendships with non Christians himself?  How can he lead by example?

Evangelist Al Dayhoff with Evangelize Today is encouragiung me to be more intentional in seeking out friendships with non Christians, entering their world and seeking to discover what they believe about God.  Al has done considerable research with non Christian people and has entered into many conversations with tattoos as a starting point.

I recently interviewed a neighbor-friend of mine who has some tattoos on both arms.  We sometimes sit and enjoy a cup of coffee together.  Isaiah gave me permission to share his thoughts and picture here.   "Is there a story behind your tattoos?" I asked.  Isaiah told me he had these done when he was 19 or 20.  On one arm there is an artistic tattoo of a pair of dice with a large dollar sign and with flames coming out around them.  "I know how to shoot dice real good," he told me.  "What is the significance of the flames?" I asked him.  "There's a lot of stuff that can take you to hell."  He pointed out the bullet from an AK-47 with a furnace of flames around it and talked about his distrust in the authorities to protect people from violence.

I have known my friend has interest in spiritual things because he often brings thoughts about God into our conversations.  "They sure did whip Jesus; put some marks on him," he laughed, as though to say maybe those marks are his tattoos.  On his other arm, he has an angel holding a ribbon with some names written on it.  "This represents the life of my auntie and my granddad who helped me out a lot.  "They took me to church when I was young...I never even had to worry about church clothes...my granddad was a deacon at a church on Third Street."  Part of the tattoo reads R.I.P. with a pair of hands releasing doves into the rays of the sun.  At this point, Isaiah became a little introspective:  "I don't get this life.  We just get here and then we get old...what is the meaning of life on this ball with all that space out there?" he asked.  "I know someone other than God made the bullets and the dice and the money," he went on.  "God is pure-minded.  I used to listen to a lot of rap music but don't so much anymore because I respect positive stuff.  I'm not hating on them, but I've distanced myself from the cussing because it's not clean."

Seeing the opportunity to pursue some further questions with Isaiah, I asked him, "What do you think about Jesus?"  He said, "Jesus came as a pure person and overcame the grave."  "What do you believe about life after death?" I asked.  "Everyone is meant to live forever...it's not like your fingernail which dies when you cut it off and it gets thrown away.  It's over.  Life is not like that."  I said, "if you had a chance to ask God one question, what would it be?"  Isaiah replied, "Would I even ask a question?  Should you ask God any questions?"

I went on to talk about Jesus' encounter with the religious pharisee, Nicodemus, recorded in John 3.  Since Isaiah has been my friend for a few years, I felt the freedom to ask him, "Do you know that you have been born of the Spirit of God, that you have been been born again into a living faith in Christ?"  His initial response was that he had been baptized, he attends church, and he often watches religious TV.  I'm trying to not be so quick to give an answer, but to allow dignity to people by really listening to hear them, giving God's Spirit a chance to speak to the heart rather than my quick reply.  Unlike me, Jesus never seemed to be in a rush to make converts.  He did give people answers, but he was not in a hurry to correct every misunderstanding.

I resisted the urge to 'lecture' or 'correct' as I pressed a little further.  "But is there more that gives you assurance that you have God's Spirit?" I asked.  He said, "I believe!  Believe in Jesus is what you need to do, and love God...Romans 8:28 is the strongest verse in the Bible."  ("And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.")

I was encouraged that my friend, Isaiah, does indeed have faith in Jesus and that he is my brother in the Lord, together with me on this spiritual journey.   Jesus said to Nicodemus that "whoever believes in me will have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."  (John 3:15-16).  And I trust that Isaiah will continue to learn and grow in Christ as he receives God's word and seeks to be discipled in the faith.  (He's said he wants to be a part of a men's discipleship group.)  Pray for Isaiah and for the Isaiah's in your life.