spam evangelism

all right, i'm doing it again. i'm re-posting here a comment i made elsewhere in weblogland. they say those who can, do. for instance, those who can blog, blog. i say those who can't (or at least aren't inspired at the moment) comment on the blogs of others. new york is an inspiring place, but i'll start posting about it when i have a little more free time. meanwhile, i'm checking the blogs of others. check out adam feldman once more... my comments on spamgelism below.

i was on the subway last night and thought about the differences in styles of evangelism. so many people walking in and out of our lives in such a short time - on at 42nd street, off at 14th. how can i impact someone's eternal destiny in such a short period? i'm convinced that our problem is two-fold:

1) we see a conversion experience as the ultimate goal, and leave our converts hanging afterward. we are called, rather, to make disciples. conversion is the start of a new life, but like a child learning to walk, so is the new convert, learning to walk in fulness of life.

2) we think that it doesn't count as evangelism unless we're following the evangelism program: 5 steps to leading someone to the Lord, F.A.I.T.H., the romans road to salvation. not knocking anyone's program for teaching people an easy-to-follow format, but evangelism is more a way of life than it is a brief conversation between two people otherwise unconnected.

like "sex starts in the kitchen", so does evangelism start early in relationships. i talk to the guy standing next me on the L-train carrying a viola that is taller than he is. i strike up conversation with a woman reading a book with an intriguing title. maybe the conversation goes a spiritual direction. maybe it doesn't. that's just a 7 minute train ride. above ground, i have even moreso the opportunity to get connected to people's lives. we're so oriented for results that we miss the journey along the way. i may have countless conversations with countless people that never take that spiritual direction that we're taught to aim for in evangelism classes and seminars. but as i live my life in constant interaction with others, may they somehow be impacted for the better.

comments?