Last summer I was in Russia, south of Moscow, with a short term mission team. It was a very interesting week- encounters with the new secret police and all. We developed some great relationships and got to visit with a number of different people. But from this week I learned one thing that stuck with me more than anything else- We had a translator with us, a really sweet Christian lady, Irina, from a city south of Moscow, my lesson came from her. It was a real treat to get to know Irina. But what I want to share is something I learned from her, something I learned from watching her. She had a wonderful, sweet spirit, and it was a real help to us in our visits. I watched her as she translated for us. There were times when the "volume" of the discussion rose with the emotions of each persons passions, and this dear lady did something I had never seen before- she controled the discussion by LOWERING the volume...it was amazing to watch. Suddenly everyone would fall silent so they could hear what she said. She calmed the emotions of the moment by lowering the volume and bringing a gentle tone to the moment.
I had to do that today....I learned it in Russia from Irina....I had commented on a web site discussing faith, and was instantly and soundly ridiculed. I have been through this before, so it didn't bother me at all. So I took what I learned in Russia and applied it to this encounter- I lowered the volume, responded in love. Even though all of this was done with a keyboard it was amazingly effective. The tone changed, and I had a great opportunity for a visit with this person.
It's loud out there! I have been following some of the discussions about faith on the internet and the "volume" is way too high for my taste. Those who ridicule faith are hostile, mean-spirited, and angry. Unfortunately many of those who are believers are responding in the same way....and so no one is listening....but everyone is talking. If we want an audience with the world then our dialogue in person and online must be done in love. We must not respond in the same tones as those we are talking with....it only causes them to put their fingers in their ears and stop listening.
I saw a short "on the street" video asking two questions- 1. What do you think of Jesus? and, 2. What do you think of Christians? I was surprised by the answers. Everyone had great things to say about Jesus (that didn't surprise me), but were not too favorable about Christians.....we have done something wrong....we have not imitated our master, and because of that many are not listening. If you find yourself in an encounter, in person or online, that is confrontational, take a moment, lower the volume and respond in love. In a post-Christian culture the only example of what Jesus looks like may be YOU.
3 comments:
I read something similar in Yancey's book about grace. He said that people were always drawn to Jesus - people who had done all kinds of "biggie" sins. But in our society today, no one wants to come to church where they would feel worse about themselves. Wow. We are turning people off because we in the church somehow make people think we are perfect and they would have to be perfect too to join "us." Definitely not what Jesus would do.
I know that in public speaking sometimes the best way to get your audiences attention is to lower your volume. It often makes people listen more carefully.
Great post, Mike.
I agree. Living in a culture that finds Christians less then appreciated I have had several people say, "If every missionary were as kind and loving as you are they might be interested in finding out more about this Jesus and this Christianity." This comment saddened me in a way. When it was said by my Jewish friend, I pondered his comment for a long time. Where is the love? Where is the obedience IN love? This seems to be my question more and more when I am thinking about our world today.
You know that is something I needed to hear Mike. I have been dealing with my father whom is among those foaming at the mouth at Christianity - and he considers himself a liberated, worldly (Christian) man who thinks GOD is there but not personally involved in anything. He has been listening to your pastoring and has loved how you present the WORD. GOD is working all around him and he just doesn’t see it. It has been difficult not to get frustrated when he is hardened and cannot see. But I guess we have all started here huh? By no effort of our own GOD opens our eyes not because we are smarter than everyone else, but because of HIS divine will choose us for some UNKNOWN reason to us. Not because we deserve it but through HIS divine will in grace. I noticed my arguments and discussions don’t seem to spark anything but spitefulness. He does however respond to the outworking of GOD’s sacrifice on our behalf – Love. The big L for a work of Love so great we cannot comprehend but can only respond with our little l’s. Sealed and secured we rest in HIM. We are called to reach outside ourselves through the HOLY SPIRIT in this love so aptly revealed and demonstrated on the cross… I just don’t have the right words to explain this. Boiled down I am saying it is not even my love for my father that matters but GOD’s love working through me. He is Calling to me to be patient and kind of mouth and gentile of spirit - small work for GOD, big work in me. He is Calling for me to be the grown up and I just keep thinking that I am glad I don’t have to clothe ourselves to identify our maturity in Christ and HIS WORD. Someday’s it would seem to be diapers sucking on that milk bottle.
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