A few Sundays ago I watched someone die.
Every once in a while, my dad and I watch Portuguese soccer on TV. Especially when his favourite team (Benfica) is on. This was one of those days.
The game was going as a typical game does, dad's team wasn't doing too well, which dad doesn't take too well. On a play "Feher - name of player" was given a yellow card. He accepted it, smiled as he walked away from the referree, toward the camera, smiling, he collapsed, and was dead. That crazy, that sudden. Later on that day, I joked that I'd like to go that way. Actually, with my illness there's a really good chance that could happen. But that's not the reason for my blogging about this.
I guess I could talk about the fragility of life. But we know that. I could say how surprised I was to see this unfolding before my eyes, and I was. There's still something I find interesting about death, we all know it's coming, but when it does we're all surprised by it. Even when people have been struggling with some illness for a long time. But still, that's not why I'm writing.
As someone who's into relationship evangelism. I'm not into forcing the Jesus issue down people's throat. I try to live it out before them and to take the opportunities, life (the spirit) presents to talk and ask questions, challenge, etc.
However, this is process oriented and often takes a long time in people's lives. I love it because it's natural, and because people come to it willingly, rather than scared into it "don't want to go to hell, so might as well choose heaven."
I know the gospel is so much greater than heaven or hell, and I will continue to build relationships and present Christ in natural ways to the relationship development, but in moments like these, where you know dies before having made a decision of faith - it raises all kinds of doubts about practice.
Anyway, just some thoughts, I don't think this is going to change things, but how do you feel about it...
Posted by edI think "surprise" is accurate when it comes unexpectedly. Losing a child would be a surprise while losing someone who has been ill for an extended period of time is not. Losing anyone in their prime who is in prime health would be a surprise while losing someone who is not would not be.
Choosing between heaven and hell is easy unless your concerned someone you love has chosen, for whatever the circumstance, hell.
As to the journey into a better relationship with Jesus... I like the pilot and trust him to shape my spiritual life.
In my new walk with God I feel a sense of urgency to evangelize to those around me. So many people have no hope. I believe once we are in a right relationship with God we feel that sense of urgency becasue we don't want people, especially our loved ones to miss out.
I find I seek out the opportunities to evangelize, especially to extended family members and work associates.
I find myself challenging my fellow police officers more and more at work. In investgations we always seek the truth in situations. Why wouldn't we of all people seek the truth about life. And yet incredibly we who see so much of the misery and hopelessness that so many people live with are ourselves for the most part so lost.
I'm finding it difficult to just be a lifestyle evangelizer, I find I purposely go out and challenge people on their beliefs or lack of them.
I find when I don't seize the God given opportunities to witness for him that later it begins to bother me and I realize I missed an opportunity.
My biggest challenge, as you along with others are quite aware, is to be gracious in the process. Sometimes I find myself with an "in your face" kind of an attitude that I know rubs people the wrong way. I know God knows my heart, and I know He knows my commitment to Him and I know He's working on me with respect to graciousness.
I find those that I am "in your face" with are those who for the most part claim to be Christian, yet some of their beliefs are not based on God's truth or there is compromise going on. I find I dialogue with them totally differently then I would a work associate who is not claiming to be walking with God in any way.
Kind of rambled on there but just some thoughts that came to mind Ed as I read your post. Have a great evangelizing kind of Sunday. There's so much work to do.
Posted by: George