What is Going?

Saturday marked the 9th anniversary of September 11. To me, one of the most heartbreaking and at the same time, inspiring, images is that of the firefighters and police running into the smoke. Against the rushing crowds, caked in ash and tears, they pressed on. They were going to great danger, probable death, and they no doubt were constantly pressing down a wave of fear.

But they were going to where and to who needed them.

As followers of Christ, we are the first responders. We must go whereever and to whomever needs us. We must be willing to rush into the smoke and the shellshocked masses, because we carry rescue.

Somewhere in our history, it became different, though. We began to expect people to come to us, as though we were gurus that must be sought out for our depth of understanding. And we made ourselves just as secluded as that stereotypical guru on a mountain, using our own special language and creating our own exclusive culture. When Christianity became a status symbol for the rich and the powerful and the political to use, we had stopped moving. We stopped going.

Our going out to the world became a system, a project, if you will. We set up times at our convenience to knock on doors or make phonecalls. Even our going out was on our terms. We developed scripts and even more special language to make us sound appealing- we were more salesmen than ambassodors of Christ.

And the world took notice. They realized we seemed more interested in checking their name off a list than actually getting to know them. They saw that we were too busy to really spend time with them. They stopped giving us their attention.

In the last decade, a slow turn has begun. Many believers are waking up to realize they had forsaken the heart of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20, "19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." That heart being that we should go and invest (make disciples)in people. So, here are a few challenges I issue to you to be more adept at going to people in the name of Christ:

Listen
Don't just talk to them, listen to them. Hear thier story, their struggles. This is not a 'nod and smile' kind of listen, this is an active listen. Think about what they have said, pray about what they have said, and then, come back for more.

Connect
If you've listened, you've learned some of their interests. Try to learn more about them. Build a stronger bond by showing you actually care about what they care about. But don't be disengenuous- be real. Most of the time, you won't fall as in love with their interest as they are. But, showing that you're willing to give it a try goes a long way.

Be Available
Christians tend to be the most unavailable people I know. It takes weeks to set up a time to sit down with them. And don't get me started on communication with leaders of churches. I don't know if this is just because I am already 'with them' or what, but if we are this hard to nail down for those not following Christ, they'll never come to depend on us. Rather than try to make people fit into your schedule, try to fit your schedule around them. Return their correspondence quickly and clearly. It shows them they actually matter to you.

Stand
You're probably thinking, "He hasn't said anything about sharing Christ yet." Yep, that's no oversight. I believe that we have to earn their respect in order to share Christ. They feel that Christians are just out to make them a notch on their Bible for 'saved souls,' so we need to prove to them that we actually care. But until that time comes, we still need to stand for something. There may be some lines that come up that you just can't cross. Respectfully and kindly say so, and continue to do the other stuff.

I've read a lot of articles recently that say that we need to not jsut set out to befriend people so we can share Christ with them. And if they reject Christ, we need not reject them.

I totally agree, and think it's an area I myself need to work on.