Evangelism begins when we pray for a person and care for them. If we don’t start here then everything we say is just empty words. Quoting the Bible is meaningless if we don’t love the person that we are talking too. At its heart we need to get to know a person before we can bring them to Christ. This means putting the other person first, it is a ministry of service. Because I am a Christian doesn’t make me better than those who aren’t Christians. We are all on the journey of life together.

Jesus was above all the greatest servant that the world has ever known. He was willing to go even to death to demonstrate to all of us that the only way of life is the way of love. This Christian way of life runs counter to the norms of our world where self, family & friends are put first. A world in which life is about making money and becoming more powerful. What sort of world do you want? One governed by greed, hatred and selfishness or one in which all are loved and cared for.

This leads us on to ask the question, what sort of God do we believe in? In the Old Testament it is the prophets who keep challenging the people of Israel to seek justice for the widow, the orphan and the alien, three groups of people who are on the very edge of society and who will not survive unless people begin to care for them. Whilst the groupings may have changed in the twenty first century there are still people living on the edges of society. Without the work of food banks, caring charities and the generosity of individuals with their time, their talent and their money these people will suffer. Are we going to walk by on the other side of the road and ignore them or are we going to be the Good Samaritans of our day?

Despite our age and infirmities all of us can play our part, by praying for each other, whether we meet them here in Church or around the town. All of us can talk with people and gradually get to know them. How often do we ignore those who serve us in shops or cafes, when a simple smile and, ‘how are you?’ is all that is required. Kindness is the beginning of relationships. We then become beacons of light in a society which seems to be walking in darkness. In doing this we are truly following Jesus, the light of the world.

Andrew SSL