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<\/a>This review is from Ted Gossard, who blogs at Jesus Community<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nAs one raised close enough to the evangelical tradition, later embracing it, and still evangelical as to its core conviction of seeing the gospel as somehow front and center through Jesus in the work of God, evangelism has always been considered somehow central as well. Sharing the good news of Christ with those who haven\u2019t heard, or who do not believe. Being a witness of what we have seen and heard.<\/p>\n
But within evangelicalism the past twenty years or so, there has been at least questions about how we evangelize. Do we go door to door with something like \u201cEvangelism Explosion\u201d? Do we simply invite our neighbors to church, so that they can hear the gospel proclaimed there? Do we instead opt for \u201cfriendship evangelism\u201d? Or maybe simply pray, and try to live out the gospel, always being ready to give anyone an answer when asked about the difference in our lives?<\/p>\n
On top of this, during the same time there has become the awareness of the emerging influence of\u00a0postmodernism<\/a><\/strong>, a different culture in which the air is filled with uncertainty, and openness to various forms of\u00a0mysticism<\/a><\/strong> voiced as spirituality, more often than not without religion.<\/p>\n At one time I was convinced that I was failing to share my faith as I ought to. But I was not convinced that what I had seen and been a part of in door to door programs was the way to do it. So over time I settled into a kind of blue funk over evangelism. Yes, I thought it was important, but I was uncomfortable with what I had seen and tried myself. Evangelism for me was essentially on hold. At least in any way I had experienced it in the past.<\/p>\n That gradually in my mind anyhow has begun to change. First through my own theological revolution through N.T. Wright\u2019sThe Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was & Is<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. Helped along from blogging with Scot McKnight, a favorite writer of mine, and rather capped off with his recent,\u00a0The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n And from an acquaintance has come a book that I have personally found helpful in pushing me to consider just how I might best share my faith with others. In fact has given me hope that there is a good way, a way blessed of God to do this.\u00a0Anna Rapa<\/a><\/strong>, an acquaintance has written a novel in a kind of wisdom story mode entitled,\u00a0Second Story: seeing what\u2019s not being said<\/a><\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n I found this book intriguing in being as encouraging as it was challenging, and challenging as it was encouraging. There are still matters for me to ponder. A depth in it I have yet to plumb.<\/p>\n Tomorrow we will explore the book itself. And I am thinking of doing so in a bit of an autobiographical way. This book hits close to home for me. And we need to consider what is being shared in it. But I want to do so in a way which would encourage you to read the book for yourself.<\/p>\n \u2026from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do\u2014200 chiefs\u2026<\/p>\n 1 Chronicles 12:32<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Anna Rapa<\/a><\/strong> has written a kind of wisdom story in\u00a0Second Story: seeing what\u2019s not being said<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. In her words to me, \u201cIt\u2019s really meant to be an object lesson or ideas with skin on. Could\u2019ve been written as a nonfiction book, but it seemed impossible to really convey what the ideas would look like without a story.\u201d<\/p>\n Anna tells the story well, real life people. One begins to identify especially with the main characters, Alex and Annie who have been anticipating marriage. Except Alex\u2019s accident through which his life was hanging in the balance has awakened him to the importance of making his life count for God. Gone is the care free, fun loving Alex. In in his place is an Alex who wants to talk most all the time about spiritual things. And wants to share and confront others with the truth of God so that they might see their need for Christ.<\/p>\n Annie is all but lost. She was glad he wanted to go to church, she was raised that way. But really caring about other\u2019s religion or personal matters to her seemed more than a bit much.<\/p>\n Enter Sara, who had served as a youth worker some years back in Alex\u2019s church youth group. The three begin to meet, and we see every bit as significant a change in Annie as had happened with Alex. Except that Annie\u2019s change due to Sara\u2019s sharing had come with more than Alex could have imagined. More than he was willing to take on, or accept.<\/p>\n Alex is busy \u201cwitnessing\u201d to people verbally any opportunity he has. A fellow worker, Drew, Alex discovers is gay, and has cancer. Alex is always wanting to share with him his need for Jesus, but Drew is not only uninterested, but antagonistic. He has been raised in a church, and his father is upset over his lifestyle. Alex while\u00a0repulsed<\/a><\/strong> by that himself, won\u2019t let up in trying to help Drew come to faith, seeing Drew\u2019s death as imminent.<\/p>\n In the meantime, Annie is benefiting from their times together with Sara. She had been reticent, but in desperation had committed herself to God, or reached out to him while not really wanting such help. There was something not ringing true to her in what she saw of Alex in his change. And she was not where she needed to be herself as to God and his will.<\/p>\n In this unfolding comes a really compelling, well told story. With wisdom and insight woven in throughout.<\/p>\n God begins to change Annie through study of scripture and prayer from the times with Sara. Certain parts spoke into my life, such as when Annie was trying to grapple with Jesus\u2019 words in the first and greatest commandment to love God with all one\u2019s heart, soul, mind and strength. As is true throughout the book, how she works through this is so true to life. Annie begins to genuinely care about people. So that her friend Oliver, and her neighbors, Patti and Josie become priorities to her, simply as people. From that she does want to share the difference God is making in her life.<\/p>\n Alex sees every contact as a responsibility to confront others of their need, their danger if they don\u2019t repent and believe the gospel. For him it is all about being a part of God\u2019s work of reconciliation. For Annie it is first about loving people, praying for them, and out of that, sharing her faith when it is natural. Annie thinks it\u2019s not always wise to speak of faith, in fact is reticent to do so unless it is a natural expression of her life, or sharing her story. Alex thinks he should always try to speak.<\/p>\n Out of this comes the perfect storm. Taught by Sara and really part of her own understanding and experience, Annie sees life as uncertain and not so black and white. Alex wants certainty, and sees truth at stake, or being compromised with Sara\u2019s view that like Jesus we should tell stories from scripture, our own story as well, praying that the Spirit will give the hearer understanding. Alex can\u2019t shake the belief that it\u2019s up to him to help others understand the truth and their need for Jesus.\u00a0Sara also has taught them that barriers to the faith for many today are largely emotional, that we help people to come to truth in their minds by being sensitive to where they are struggling in their hearts.<\/p>\n The story for me had an unexpected ending. It sets in stark and helpful contrast two models of evangelism and leaves us the reader grappling with which is the one most true to the witness of scripture and in the way we find in Jesus in scripture. And how we should be Christ\u2019s ambassadors for reconciliation in this present time.<\/p>\n