Evangelism is being redefined for me.
I've been thinking about selling a product as an analogy to sharing the gospel. Though it's probably not the best analogy, it brings out a few interesting points.
Somewhere along they way I began to see evangelism as a sales pitch. I have a product that you need and you don't know that you need it so I'm going to try to convince you that you need it. Hopefully by the time we're done you've agreed to try the product out and I go and tell everyone I've sold it! Everyone wins right?
First problem I see is the push to prove a person's need to them. I think before someone decides to follow Jesus they should be aware of their current state, that's very important. But for us to try to convince someone that they are in need seems like manipulation. Like all our current advertising: convenience and pleasure is made to be a perceived need. And if this product doesn't work out for me I can go get my convenience and pleasure from another (or so the claims go). Are real needs being met? Or are they manufactured? Continue reading “What is Evangelism?”
