It Might Be A Hoot
I was listening to an interview with Rosaria Butterfield and she said some things that got me to thinking. You can listen to her interview here.
She just published a book called The Gospel Comes With A House Key. I now have it on my audible but haven’t listened to it yet. But, I digress.
She said some thought-provoking things about ministering the Gospel to people who are locked in sin, even really bad sin:
“Home is an embassy, not a castle.”
“Never let your words be stronger than your actions.”
“We don’t agree to disagree, we disagree and we make dinner.”
“The lesbians down the street might be living in sin, but they might also be the nicest people on the street.”
“Home is not a church, but it is a bridge to the church.”
The interview got me to thinking about my recent postabout laughing and pointing at the man dressed like a woman while reading to the children at the library. And now I wonder if that is the best response. I wonder what effect inviting the fellow home for dinner would have as a contrast. I can imagine pointing and laughing making feel more ashamed of himself than he already does. But he already feels ashamed. Pointing and laughing is only piling on. And even though he is in the position of a predator, I wonder if inviting him over for dinner would have a better godly effect on him.
Over the years, the Wilsons have invited various speakers we’ve had over to their house for dinner. They didn’t agree with the speaker and sometimes the speakers even have gotten very upset with Doug’s disagreements with them. But dinner changes the subject and the context. Dinner allows people to see past the ideas to the real person—the heart. It also changes the discussion and context of the discussion. It is really difficult to get angry with someone as they are joyfully feeding you. It is also difficult to think the same way about them if they have just fed you. Especially, when you sat there with their children who were also excited and happy that you came for dinner.
So, here’s another, maybe better suggestion for the man dressed as a woman reading to the kids at the library: invite him home for dinner. When he comes, be sweet to him. Be kind to him. Let him help set the table. Let him help with the clean-up (probably not both). Do your normal family stuff. Thank God before you eat, just like normal. If you sing, sing. If you have devotions, have devotions. Be Christian with him. Give him something to want, something to be. Be Christians and love him into the Kingdom.
As I’m writing this, I’m imagining a fellow getting 50 invites for dinner. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?
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We were recently studying evangelism in our Sunday School class and we discussed the essential component of hospitality. I truly believe that souls come, not primarily because their sins are addressed, but because of the loving relationship with the Father, which includes our forgiveness. If our Christianity is only an accounting ledger, we are not representing God or His kingdom as we will experience it in eternity.
Yes. Very true. Thanks. It isn’t an either/or kind of thing, however. If we forget that salvation is from sin, we don’t actually do evangelism. So, you’re correct that it isn’t an accounting kind of thing and that it is about a relationship. We just can’t forget that we can’t have a relationship with God if don’t acknowledge the need for forgiveness and repentance and walking with God.