Life as a Christian Woman

My pastor on Sunday read a quote from Penn Gillette, of the comedy team Penn & Teller. Gillette is an avowed atheist, but his words were powerful:

“I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. I don’t respect that at all. If you believe that there’s a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell, and not getting eternal life or whatever. And you think that it’s not really worth telling people this because it would be socially awkward. And atheists who think that people shouldn’t proselytize, just leave me alone, keep your religion to yourself. How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize, how much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible, and not tell them that. I mean, If I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you and you didn’t believe it that that truck was bearing down on you, there is a certain point where I tackle you, and this is more important than that.”

This statement was in response to being given a Gideon’s Bible by a man who had attended Gillette’s show. He admired the man for his demeanor. He was not offended or ticked off.

Amazing that he could sum up what God would have us do, a man who does not believe in the existence of God, yet we, who profess our faith openly among others of our faith are hesitant to speak to those who are lost.

We have all heard the Great Commission:

¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

We have been hearing these words since the beginning of our Christian walk, yet we gloss over them. You see, personally I think that somewhere we have lost the meaning of these words, the true meaning. The verses have morphed into a command to pick up and leave your family, and travel the world preaching the Gospel. Indeed, this is the call for some.

But look more closely. “Make disciples of all nations…” does not mean you have to leave your home. All nations includes the one you live in! The minute we leave our house, we are in the mission field.

Oops, let me correct that. We are ALWAYS in the mission field, even at home. How many of us have a family member, under our own roof, who is a non-believer, yet we shy away from speaking to them about our God? Or a neighbor who has lost her faith, yet we don’t want to make her (or ourselves) uncomfortable by bringing up God?

We need to risk the embarrassment, the uncomfortable feeling, to witness to those around us.

There is too much at stake to let it pass.

Click HERE to watch a video by Penn Gillette on his encounter with the Christian man. Very enlightening, and a lesson in Christian love.