Although the Good News of Jesus Christ remains unchanged, our world has and will continue to do so. How does one contend with new stimulus and new options that are available to communicate the contents of the Gospel?
Is the Good News of Jesus Christ relevant today? On the surface, this question appears reasonable and in fact, many of us have also asked how relevant is the church today? But the initial question is in need of further refinement for we must distill what is meant by "relevant" - the actual content of the Gospel, or the manner in which it is communicated?
The Content And The Container
In considering the many ways evangelism is done by Christians today, I would like to make a distinction between the content of the Gospel and the container one uses to share this life changing news. The content of the Gospel is the entire narrative of Christ's life, death, resurrection, and ascension. In the Church, we unilaterally affirm that this Gospel is the answer our broken world is most in need of hearing. In response to the suffering, fractures, and uncertainties of this world, the Gospel's presentation of new life and new meaning is an incredible answer not found elsewhere.
Indeed, what separates the Good News of Jesus Christ from all other "good advice" is the very nature of Christ's atoning work on the cross. The reality that human sin in all its forms (greed, vanity, pride, etc.) was broken at the cross and that human beings, who were previously unrighteous, are now able to be in relationship with a righteous God is the greatest news imaginable. That all of our darkness, all of our blemishes, and all of our poor choices can be redeemed, recreated, and restored in the light of Jesus is absolutely life changing. John's account of Jesus' final words on the cross, "It is finished" (Jn 19:30) frames well the reality that everything that needs to be done about our sin is finished. We can trust the entirety of our brokenness to this risen Savior. This content is what makes the Good News, truly good news.
Yet, for many Christians who are willing to share this Good News with others, the content of the Gospel is not the difficult issue. We know firsthand the saving grace which is at the center of this Good News. We have experienced and can give testimony to what it means to be restored and redeemed. The difficulty, however, comes with the container in which we communicate the Good News. By container I mean the various ways in which we present the Good News to our modern world. Each generation of Christians has had to respond to the challenge of presenting and proclaiming the Good News in a manner that fits with its contemporary culture. This need to constantly adjust and re-create the container of a life giving source is by no means unknown.
For example, throughout history, human civilizations have engineered different means for the transporting of water. From the aqueduct canals of ancient Rome to the complex maze of pipes in our modern homes, the one constant has been our need for water. The delivery of this indispensable resource has evolved and improved in tandem with the need. From desalinization plants to ergonomically designed water bottles, engineers have met the same human need but with more effective means. Certainly, how water was transported two thousand years ago, or even fifty years ago will not suffice for today's demands. Although our need for water remains unchanged, our method of delivery certainly has.
In the same way, we must consider how to assist others in receiving the water of eternal life. Like water, we know the Gospel has immense relevance and value in our contemporary situation. However, if we insist upon using containers of the Good News which are not effective in today's globalized world, we have regressed in our evangelism. I believe people are fundamentally in need of the full content of God's Good News. The content of the Gospel does not need to be supplemented, enhanced, or made more attractive. Instead, the conduit through which the Good News is transmitted is in need of constant adjustment. The Apostle Paul dealt with this very dilemma when he shared that he must become like a Jew so as to reach the Jews, and a Gentile so as to reach the Gentiles (1 Cor 9:19-23). In like manner, we must also consider how we can adjust our communication and presence so as to more effectively proclaim the lifechanging news of Jesus to be fitting of the contemporary culture we live in.
But what container is appropriate for today's hypertechnological world? Today, the changes and improvements facing us are overwhelming. The rate at which information proliferates and the increased demands to learn and to adapt to new modes of communication leaves us dizzy. How do we contend with the new stimulus and new options that are provided? Can the narrative of Jesus compete with YouTube and MySpace? My answer is yes. Although new media and new modes of communication are both exciting and everchanging, the fundamental needs of people are still the same. To be sure, YouTube, Facebook, and MySpace are new ways of communicating and connecting online, yet, it is the basic desire to be in community that ultimately lies behind these new e-phenomenons. In other words, the fundamental need to belong to a community, to have authentic relationships, and to have our personal stories heard by others has not changed. What has changed is the modality or the container.
Withness As Witness
As I think through this challenge of sharing the Good News in our contemporary setting, I have been inspired by an approach to evangelism which I first heard articulated by Dr Jehu Hanciles of Fuller Seminary. Dr Hanciles presents a perspective of evangelistic witness with the phrase withness. Withness has the mindset that Christians are purposefully immersed in all currents of life. From politics to education and health services to commercial enterprises, Christians understand their presence in the very nucleus of life's activities. Withness emphasizes the interspersion of Christians in the world in opposition to Christian isolationism from the world. At a personal level, withness is demonstrated by co-laboring with neighbors in both the joys and vicissitudes of daily life. Through withness, Christians get the same dirt under their fingernails as others. Christians who practice withness function similarly to the parable Jesus told about a small pinch of yeast in a 20 kg batch of flour (Mt 13:33). What seems like an insignificant amount of a particular ingredient actually produces an incredible result. That is, the entire dough rises due to the influence of the yeast. Withness translates similarly in our society when Christians understand that it is not quantity that creates a powerful witness but the very quality of their lives that influences others. Yeast cannot function in isolation and in the same way our evangelism is meant to spring forth from our very involvement in everyday life and transactions. You could say that withness is true to life.
Using this understanding of withness, I would like to suggest three particular applications with regard to how we can practice such evangelism in our own spheres of influence. First, in withness, think relationally and build a relationship. So often, we seek a goal and our eyes are set only on the results in the person. But if we see the person and build a genuine relationship with the person, being open to however long and deep the relationship takes us, we are well on our way to withness.
Second, withness is not short on compassion or understanding. Often, a point of contact with non-believers is the quagmire of life's disappointments. In withness, we extend comfort to the afflicted, hope to the desperate, and we place ourselves in the shoes of others to better understand their perspective. We have to remember that all of us are shouldering burdens far beyond our capacity to manage. From a larger perspective, I would argue that the church's presence in the world is not suffering because it is too compassionate. Unfortunately, it is the lack of compassion that keeps many wounded away from the person of Jesus. To walk a mile in another's shoes will only open our eyes in how we could communicate being other-centered.
Finally, withness must involve an invitation. At some juncture in the developing relationship, Jesus needs to be described and His invitation of grace proclaimed. To remain silent about giving one's life to Jesus relegates withness to simply another friendship. Start by sharing your personal story for it has great value. That is, the narrative God has been writing in your life is both powerful and glorifying of God's love and sovereignty.
May you be a great withness and experience the great privilege of sharing the greatest Good News.
Elizabeth Lee is a volunteer with Eagles Communications. She has a Masters in Divinity and Inter-cultural Studies from the United States. She loves exchanging theological insights and ideas as well as exploring culinary treats.
Read "Untrained, Ordinary But Effective" to discover why unschooled and ordinary people are the most effective witnesses for Christ.