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EVANGELISM |
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Q: RAYSON, In your lesson you spoke of being active and not passive. And I've been trying to do that recently when I find opportunities to speak of my faith in conversation with friends and without, well, proselytizing - or whatever - without being overly preachy, I've tried to open doors when I can. And something happened recently with a friend. I felt a lot of resistance, and a feeling from her that she wanted to intellectually argue. I felt the need to protect my own faith - not that she could convince me otherwise - but just that it was disheartening to come up against that skepticism. And rather than continue the conversation, I feel that maybe I shouldn't even discuss faith with her any more. Am I being a coward? Am I being passive? Or is it sometimes a good idea to back off from a person whose skepticism seems stronger than their inclination toward faith? A: Our master did not allow himself, when he resided here as JESUS, to be drawn into useless debate and argument. Words are wonderful tools for communication among humans. However your life is much more effective - a much more effective argument for the role of faith. When words fail, your living experience as a faith filled daughter will not. Others are drawn to you because of who you are, based on the bedrock of your faith. Do not descend into arguing the point. Only negative things will come from that: divisiveness, differences, polarization. Rather stress the commonality. Love, it is hard to resist love. And shine through this (easily?) and in many ways you are unaware of your love. Others are not, and wish to be close to you. So, you are not a coward. It is wise to drop talk, which divides friends. Ask questions and leave your lower associate to (??) the feel of social growth, like your questions, that will not threaten the intellectual defense. Does that Answer? Q: Pretty much, but just - ask questions? In other words, ask questions that I still have? A: No. Ask questions to teach this being. Ask questions about.. Q: What they believe? A: No. What they need to get them through disappointment. Or sadness. Or, when they feel joyful, what does that feel to them? How does that affect their lives? Those kinds of questions where you are the student - but really you are the teacher. (02/09/92)
© 11:11 Progress Group. "Michael est toujours au Volant." (Michael is always at the Steering Wheel.) |