What I Need to Say

I have that unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. The one that feels like my insides are twisting and turning and makes me dismiss any thought of food. The one that I get when someone has done something that upsets me. The one that tells me it's time for me to speak up and say something.

I usually get this feeling when I feel like I should do something that I really don't want to do. Like speak in front of a large group of people or deal with confrontation or stand up for what I believe in when it seems rather difficult.

Here is what I need to say:

Today as I walked to class, there was a man in the middle of the quad, waving his Bible and preaching as loud as he possibly could. No one was paying much attention to him. But when I came out of my class and walked back to the parking lot, a huge ring of students surrounded the man, and he was still screaming and yelling, making his voice hoarse and raspy.

Students were laughing at him and taunting him. They yelled back at him and brandished signs hastily crafted from cardboard and markers that mocked the man and the words he said. They asked him questions, not to understand what he believed, but to criticize what he had said.

The man responded by raising his Bible above his head, the wispy pages fluttering in the autumn breeze, and blasting these students with his own retort.

"This is the Word of God, students! This is the Word of God! And God hates sin! He hates it!"

I couldn't listen anymore. I needed to get away. I was scared because the tension was growing in this ring of students. I didn't know what would happen next, and I didn't want to be there when it did.

But even more importantly, I was embarrassed by this man.

I am a Christian. I believe in God's Word, the Bible. But I was ashamed at his method of spreading the gospel.

I have heard of people like this, fire-and-brimstone preachers condemning their audience to Hell. I have seen them on T.V., but today was the first day that I heard one in real life.

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From what I heard, his words were true. The Bible is the Word of God, and God does hate sin, but is this really the best way to inform others of these truths? I don't think so. Does anyone like to be screamed at and told they are going to die if they don't accept this truth? I certainly don't.

Maybe this tactic worked in previous generations. I don't know. I wasn't there. But I can tell you that it most likely will not work in this one. In order to reach people with a message, you need to understand your audience. I wish this man would have understood that. I wish he would have taken the time to research and get to know some college students before he stepped onto campus.

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He needs to know that college students are generally focused on four things: school, parties, money, and graduation (not necessarily in that order). As he's already figured out, there are a lot of sinful things that many students are involved in, and they may or may not be very proud of them, but either way, they definitely don't want that thrown in their face. In an abrasive way. By someone they don't even know. College students are very independent and relish the fact that they can think for themselves and make their own decisions about what they believe. If that is threatened, they are going to buck against whatever is threatening that freedom. College students are young and vibrant, and they want to enjoy life, not dwell on death.

He also needs to know some things about this specific generation of college students. It is hard for us to remember a world without the Internet or cell phones. And for better or for worse, a major portion of this generation's life is centered around technology. They are constantly connected. They love to multitask. Their attention spans are relatively short as they try to keep up with several conversations at the same time via phone, computer, tablet, etc. And face-to-face communication may not be their forte. They hate confrontation. Period.

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Whether we like it or not, people need to be reached where they are at. If I am trying to spread a message, I need to understand my audience and recognize which method of delivery will cause my message to be received. This is crucial because if I don't take the time to figure this out, my message may be dismissed, spurned, ridiculed.

This is what happened today. This man's message was not received because of the way it was delivered. He made students mad and upset. He forgot something. He forgot that really the entire message of the gospel is focused on love. That is the greatest commandment: to love one another. Because, after all, "God is love." (1 John 4:8) And this man did not show love to students today. At least not the kind of love that they needed to see. The down-and-dirty love where someone meets you at the place where you're at, comes alongside of you, and helps you overcome the things that you're struggling with. The kind of love that is exhibited through Jesus Christ.

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I wish this man could see this. I wish that he could see the effects of what he did today. I wish that he could see the hearts that were hardened, the minds that were turned off to Christianity. I wish he could see how much harder it will be for other Christians to witness to those students who heard and saw his message today. I wish he had done things differently.

If I knew this man, I would direct him to Casting Crowns' song "What This World Needs." This song tells us what the world needs when it comes to getting the gospel out and what it definitely doesn't need when it comes to the people who are spreading that message. In the song, it says, "People aren't confused by the gospel; they're confused by us. Jesus is the only way to God, but we are not the only way to Jesus. We can be passionate about what we believe, but we can't strap ourselves to the gospel because we're slowing it down. Jesus is going to save the world, but maybe the best thing we can do is just get out of the way."

This quote is so life-shattering. We are in the way of the gospel. Have you ever thought about that? Granted, this is not to say that we should not witness or spread the gospel. God commanded us to do so, and it would be wrong for us to forsake that. But it should make us rethink our methods, our strategies, our plans of attacks. And maybe if we take some time to think about it, our witnessing efforts can become less of a battle plan and more of a labor of love. Just maybe.

Consider your audience. Plan your witnessing opportunities accordingly. Show the love of Jesus.

This is what I needed to say.