After almost two weeks in Ecuador, it is good to be back in the office and able to resume a more normal schedule. The last week has been one of intense travel–seven consecutive nights in a different bed each night, but also a week of intense beauty and encouragement. The opportunity to see what God has done in his physical creation in Ecuador, and to see what God is doing in his spiritual re-creation in the lives of countless men and women, boys and girls, families and neighbors in Ecuador was extremely rewarding.
I came away with one thought echoing in my mind: we have made evangelism and the growth of the kingdom too hard. I am thinking especially about the U.S. church in comparison with the Latin American churches. We have sought panaceas and easy fixes. We have eagerly run after the latest new gadget or gizmo. We have purchased techniques and materials, we have copied DVDs and CDs and tapes. All of the above probably have some element of good, some may even prove somewhat effective.
The church grows when we meet people, demonstrate caring, establish relationships, and share the life of a disciple. In the Houston airport, we met a young couple from Ecuador, along with their two children. After their trip to Ecuador, they were planning to move from New Jersey to Houston. In fact, they had already completed most of the move, and would fly back from Ecuador to Houston to settle into new surroundings. When they found out we were with a missionary conference group, talk turned to religion and church and Jesus. They wanted to know about good church options in Houston. I asked if they wanted to worship in Spanish, and they said “si”. I gave them information about a friend (Baxter graduate) who is working with the church in Houston. They seemed genuinely appreciative.
Talking to people, caring, sharing, even daring to mention the “unmentionable” subject of Jesus. If Christianity has been removed from the public arena and limited to the private spheres of our North American society, if Christianity has been relegated to the fringes of our culture–the fault and problem is partially ours as Christians! We must never stop talking about what we have seen and heard. In our culture and society, we can talk about it almost everywhere we go. We can act like disciples of Christ–we do not have to travel incognito.
Our airport interaction was helped by the Pan-American Lectureship name badges all were wearing. Perhaps we need to go forth into our world each day with name badges indicating that we are followers of Jesus Christ. Woudn’t that be a better approach? Wouldn’t that work? Probably not. (1) It’s artificial. (2) Some people’s actions would deny the claim of the badge. (3) People ought to already know by the way we live, the things we talk about, the priorities we demonstrate.
Our Latin American brothers and sisters in the churches we visited just keep on telling the story, keep on sharing information about Jesus, keep on teaching and preaching, keep on talking to neighbors and friends and family and all who will listen. They keep on establishing new churches, keep on inviting, keep on helping, keep on demonstrating the power and change of Jesus in their lives. The churches are growing, new churches are being planted, people are giving their lives to Jesus. Maybe they’re on to something!!