Monday, 15 October 2007 01:00 | and posted in Sharing Your Faith
Ask most people how they became Christians and they'll say it had something to do with the Christians they met. They liked what they saw and wanted to know more.
It's what the Bible teaches us to expect. Peter tells wives whose husbands are not Christians that their husbands will be won over 'without words...when they see the purity and reverence of your lives' (1 Peter 3:1-2). Don't annoy them by putting hymns on their MP3 player or making Bible verses suddenly appear on their laptops. Let your life tell the story.
We did a survey of people who had come on an Alpha group. What did they find best about the course? Having given a few of the talks I naturally expected them to say: "the talks were brilliant; the best things I have ever heard."
What did they say? The best thing for them was having the chance to chat to people over a meal. That's where they felt most at home. It was a chill out time where they could relax. They felt accepted and not under pressure to do or say the right things. They felt they belonged because somebody was interested in them.
We like to feel we belong. Most of us hate it when we have worn the wrong sort of clothes for the party or when everyone else laughs at the joke but we just don't get it.
Jesus knew about that feeling. That's why when wee Zacchaeus was interested in finding out about Jesus, Jesus didn't say; "There's no way I'm speaking to you until you sort yourself out" (check it out in Luke 19:1-10). Instead Jesus said, "I want to come to your house and enjoy your company." When Zacchaeus knew he belonged he began to believe. It's this kind of love that changes everything.
However, that got Jesus into trouble because some thought Jesus should have stayed well clear of Zacchaeus until he cleaned up his act. They would have been happier if Jesus had really had a "go" at wee Zac and told him what a loser he was. But that's not Jesus' way and it shouldn't be ours.
Can we help people who don't believe really feel at home amongst us? OK, they don't agree with everything we say; they don't use our jargon or like Christian music. So what? Like us they need to be loved; to feel someone is interested in them enough to listen to them.