A brother from South Africa sent me this, and if you haven\u2019t seen it (which I hadn\u2019t), it is worth the read. I have the first third of it or so here.<\/em> A brother from South Africa sent me this, and if you haven\u2019t seen it (which I hadn\u2019t), it is worth the read. I have the first third of it or so here. Many evangelistic efforts often close hearts rather than open them. How can you lovingly help someone wonder her way to Christ?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[425],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-missional"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nMany evangelistic efforts often close hearts rather than open them. How can you lovingly help someone wonder her way to Christ?
\nIn April 2003, National Public Radio aired a news story about a standoff between an angry mob of Iraqi Shiites and a heavily armored patrol from the American 101st Airborne Division. Fearing that the soldiers were about to desecrate their holy shrine, hundreds of unarmed civilians pressed in toward the soldiers, waving their hands and shouting defiantly. Although the patrol\u2019s intentions were peaceful, the standoff would most likely have ended in tragedy\u2014had it not been for the quick thinking of U.S. Lt. Col. Christopher Hughes.
\nThe commanding officer that day, Hughes picked up a loudspeaker and barked three simple commands to his group. First, he told them to take a knee; second, to point their weapons toward the ground; and finally, to look up and give everyone in the hostile crowd a friendly smile. Within moments of obeying his orders, NPR reported, the troops saw the crowd\u2019s demeanor transform. Hostility and defiance melted away, as smiles and friendly pats on the back replaced shaking fists and screaming voices.
\nThough not immediately apparent, this hopeful story from the war in Iraq holds important implications for Christian outreach in a world that\u2019s becoming increasingly hostile to traditional evangelistic methods. As author Ravi Zacharias says of today\u2019s evangelism, \u201cWe must learn to find the back door to people\u2019s hearts because the front door is heavily guarded.\u201d
\nMuch like the Shiites Lt. Col. Hughes dealt with, many people we hope to reach with the Gospel react defensively. They anticipate, and are amply prepared for, any direct attack on the holy places and sacred shrines of their hearts. Our message rarely gets through because they hear, \u201cMy worldview is better than yours, so let me tell you why I\u2019m right and you\u2019re wrong.\u201d Instead of opening hearts to Christ, we merely perpetuate the \u201cus vs. them\u201d standoff.
\nSo, how do we keep from becoming embroiled in these no-win, never-ending evangelistic quagmires?
\nThe Wisdom of Wondering
\nI\u2019ve discovered that one way to engage people is through a simple and highly effective approach called active wondering\u2014a process that sparks curiosity and encourages people to ask spiritual questions for themselves.
\nFor more, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"