Atheist Encounter

This past weekend I had the opportunity to hear Sean McDowell speak. Sean is the son of Josh McDowell the well-known apologist, Sean is also a well-known apologist as well. This past weekend, Sean spoke on Evolution vs. Creation. He did an excellent job. We took our BFC Staff and there were some incredible conversations that came out of that conference. One of the things Sean did was something he called the “Atheist Encounter” during this portion of the meeting Sean role-played as an Atheist, specifically to hear what people would ask him. The questions began simply enough and as the conversation moved forward the questions started more and more pointed to the point where each question was like a mini-debate. At the end Sean took off his “atheist glasses” and the first question that he asked was “How did you treat me?” the answers varied but there was this general feeling that we (the audience) had not treated him very well.

I share that story because the lesson Sean was trying to get through to us was that sometimes the message can get missed through the method that it is shared. I don't remember exactly how Sean worded it, but that was the basic thought. If we have a message of grace, mercy, and love but we share it with judgment, anger, and hate then the message is going to be lost. So Sean encouraged the audience to keep those things in mind as they begin to have interactions with the lost. I encourage you to keep this in mind as well. As you interact with others who may have different beliefs than you be patient, listen, and seek to understand where they are coming from. Then once you have done that you can being to share the gospel with them in a way that is appropriate to their circumstance.

As we prepare our students to go and share the gospel on the campus of WT we want the messenger to match the message. We don’t want the Gospel message to be lost because of our human tendencies. So we strive every day to be more and more like Christ. I ask for your prayers in our endeavors on campus and in the lives of our students! Praise be to God!