The previous post on discerning God’s voice is here
Recently I was turned from subject to object, from evangelist to evangelized. As is my custom on the golf course, I got talking with my playing partners about the topic of religion.
They were an older couple bubbling with good humor and grace. Their identification on the 6th hole as “Jehovah’s Witnesses” took me by surprise.
Both have graduate degrees in the field of education.
You can learn something about evangelism when you become the evangelized. This was their approach:
- They told a compelling story of their conversion to the JW religion.
- They established themselves as thoughtful people by mentioning their strong educational background and commitment to diligent study: “two years of research before becoming JWs.”
- They laughed and loved easily. This was the best part for me.
- They directed me to the JW website for more information.
Theirs was a simple and straightforward witness, backed by character. They suggested next steps to me, the unsaved, while refraining from preachiness.
JWs descend from a sect in the early church called “Arians” (after their leader, Arius), who rejected the deity of Jesus Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity. No small matters.
I wonder, do we “orthodox” Christians possess the same clear-eyed loving boldness as my new JW friends?
