One week ago today, friends and I came home from Fall Conference with InterVarsity. It was an amazing experience to say the least. But while we were there, we talked about Jonah and how his story relates to our lives. The speaker explained about how we are to obey God's calling and talk to the people who he has set out for us to witness to. He challenged us to try to pursue conversations that are more intentional because it's important that we work as Jesus' hands and feet. We talked about what this looked like and who would be our "Ninevah", as in who God was calling us to begin long-term conversations with.
We were asked to think of two people that fit this type of description and my mind went to probably thirty different people whom I knew needed Jesus and his love and peace in their lives. I told God that whoever it was that he had in mind, he should make it very obvious, because I'm a bear of little brain :) (Yes, I just made a Winnie the Pooh reference. So what.) I told him simply that whoever it was, that he should open the doors and make it very obvious for me what I should do.
In light of all of this, there was a debate the other day on the existence of God at NAU. Very interesting topic choice, in my opinion, especially on a college campus where, just two weeks ago, we had a Ke$ha/Dirt Nasty concert. But I got a ticket and had decided I would try to understand the ideas of the other side, just to have an open mind about it all. Well, on the day of the debate, I went to lunch with two friends, Hannah and Chloe. Hannah is a Christian (you've seen her picture on a previous post) but Chloe is still very unsure. Chloe brought up that she had planned on going to the debate and so we decided we would go together. I didn't really think much about the opportunity it could be when she first mentioned it, but as we were walking, we started talking about our opinions on the matter and about homosexuality and about issues in the church, etc. It was a great opening to the night.
Then the debate. I would say it went fairly well, under the circumstances. I don't think either party really did an excellent job of persuading or presenting their side in a listener-friendly/convincing way. But I don't really know what I was expecting, because it would have been silly to think they would have ever had some sort of conversion experience at somehting like this. I really felt that the speakers of both sides played this off as politicians would, simply avoiding questions and trying to dodge the points that were difficult.
But this certainly raised a lot of questions in Chloe's mind, which was awesome. As we were leaving, I asked what she had thought and she really didn't know what to say about all of it. She thought that the Christian speaker was boring and dry, as did most of the rest of the crowd, including myself. He really didn't help to change what we are already stereotyped as, which was a real bummer for me. But as Chloe and I continued to talk, she explained that she really should be open-minded about religion and things of the matter because she thought she considered herself an atheist but she wasn't really sure. She told me about how she had friends who were vegetarians and she always kinda gave them beef (heehee!) about their opinions and what they were doing. But what she realized was that she really couldn't do that if she didn't know where they were coming from. So for one month she tried to be a vegetarian this summer and now she respects them a lot more because she realized how hard it really is to do what they were doing.
So she said that she thought that religion is very similar in that way. She explained that you really can't say that you don't agree with a religion until you study it and look into it for yourself and decide that you really don't agree. And this is where things got really cool for me! She said that she really knew very little about the Bible and about Christianity and that she hoped someday someone would sit down and explain these types of things to her! If this wasn't God making things very obvious for me, then I don't know what is. So I asked if she meant it and if she would really be willing to talk. And she was really excited!! I'm so happy she was so receptive. So we decided we would meet on Friday. I bought a Bible for her (this really cool green bible because she's a super hippy-ish girl who fits in perfectly in Flagstaff and loves anything that has to do with saving the environment, etc.) and we met.
She had so many questions and was so curious and open to all of the stories and teachings and was so patient with my jumbled passion of words. We had planned to meet for an hour, because I thought that after that amount of time she would probably be ready to take a break. So we made plans to have dinner an hour afterwards with some friends. But as the time neared for our conversation to be over, we didn't even notice! I was still talking and got a text and realized that we had finished our hour and still had tons to talk about. She had even brought a notebook and was taking notes and was so excited about her bible and as we were walking to dinner, she said that she really needed to do some more reading on her own. Her initiative is just awesome to me! So we decided we would both do some reading and come back to discuss together what was meant in specific passages.
We were asked to think of two people that fit this type of description and my mind went to probably thirty different people whom I knew needed Jesus and his love and peace in their lives. I told God that whoever it was that he had in mind, he should make it very obvious, because I'm a bear of little brain :) (Yes, I just made a Winnie the Pooh reference. So what.) I told him simply that whoever it was, that he should open the doors and make it very obvious for me what I should do.
In light of all of this, there was a debate the other day on the existence of God at NAU. Very interesting topic choice, in my opinion, especially on a college campus where, just two weeks ago, we had a Ke$ha/Dirt Nasty concert. But I got a ticket and had decided I would try to understand the ideas of the other side, just to have an open mind about it all. Well, on the day of the debate, I went to lunch with two friends, Hannah and Chloe. Hannah is a Christian (you've seen her picture on a previous post) but Chloe is still very unsure. Chloe brought up that she had planned on going to the debate and so we decided we would go together. I didn't really think much about the opportunity it could be when she first mentioned it, but as we were walking, we started talking about our opinions on the matter and about homosexuality and about issues in the church, etc. It was a great opening to the night.
Then the debate. I would say it went fairly well, under the circumstances. I don't think either party really did an excellent job of persuading or presenting their side in a listener-friendly/convincing way. But I don't really know what I was expecting, because it would have been silly to think they would have ever had some sort of conversion experience at somehting like this. I really felt that the speakers of both sides played this off as politicians would, simply avoiding questions and trying to dodge the points that were difficult.
But this certainly raised a lot of questions in Chloe's mind, which was awesome. As we were leaving, I asked what she had thought and she really didn't know what to say about all of it. She thought that the Christian speaker was boring and dry, as did most of the rest of the crowd, including myself. He really didn't help to change what we are already stereotyped as, which was a real bummer for me. But as Chloe and I continued to talk, she explained that she really should be open-minded about religion and things of the matter because she thought she considered herself an atheist but she wasn't really sure. She told me about how she had friends who were vegetarians and she always kinda gave them beef (heehee!) about their opinions and what they were doing. But what she realized was that she really couldn't do that if she didn't know where they were coming from. So for one month she tried to be a vegetarian this summer and now she respects them a lot more because she realized how hard it really is to do what they were doing.
So she said that she thought that religion is very similar in that way. She explained that you really can't say that you don't agree with a religion until you study it and look into it for yourself and decide that you really don't agree. And this is where things got really cool for me! She said that she really knew very little about the Bible and about Christianity and that she hoped someday someone would sit down and explain these types of things to her! If this wasn't God making things very obvious for me, then I don't know what is. So I asked if she meant it and if she would really be willing to talk. And she was really excited!! I'm so happy she was so receptive. So we decided we would meet on Friday. I bought a Bible for her (this really cool green bible because she's a super hippy-ish girl who fits in perfectly in Flagstaff and loves anything that has to do with saving the environment, etc.) and we met.
She had so many questions and was so curious and open to all of the stories and teachings and was so patient with my jumbled passion of words. We had planned to meet for an hour, because I thought that after that amount of time she would probably be ready to take a break. So we made plans to have dinner an hour afterwards with some friends. But as the time neared for our conversation to be over, we didn't even notice! I was still talking and got a text and realized that we had finished our hour and still had tons to talk about. She had even brought a notebook and was taking notes and was so excited about her bible and as we were walking to dinner, she said that she really needed to do some more reading on her own. Her initiative is just awesome to me! So we decided we would both do some reading and come back to discuss together what was meant in specific passages.
And then she texted me today and said that she had been working through Genesis on her own. She said she was on chapter nineteen and had been taking notes so she was really curious and said that she had a lot of questions. I'm so excited to meet with her again tonight and to really dive into the scriptures, especially because now she, too, has an investment in them and knows a lot more about what they say. I'm stunned that she's so self-motivated to learn about something she really isn't sure if she believes. It kind of makes me feel guilty for not always being as passionate about pursuing God through his word more consistently. I guess he's using Chloe and I to teach each other different lessons.
On a small side note, I think I've learned yet another lesson about judgment and a huge part of the problems of passing it on non-christians. We, as christians, seem to think that in the US, just about everyone has heard about Jesus and his message and just refuses to accept that and believe in him. But I'd like to say that that idea is very wrong. Chloe asked me questions like, "Well, if Jesus died, why do you still believe in him?" and "So, Jesus wrote the Bible, right?" Not that I'm being condescending of Chloe at all. I think her questions are important fundamentals to the faith of a christian. However, it really opened up my eyes to how we try to assume our way out of talking to people about Jesus because we think that they've probably already heard about him and will just think that we're strange for trying to re-tell them. But I really don't think that's the case. I know I've been guilty of this, too! Anyway. Done. Off my soapbox. :)
But I truly can't believe that God is using me in such a direct and awesome way right now! He is showing me that he'll work through me regardless of how I may mess it up, which is such a blessed assurance. He's showing me that even if Chloe decides this isn't her thing, she will still have gained knowledge and maybe someday have her mind changed. The important thing right now is to continue to be her friend, answer her questions, and pursue her as a sister so that she feels loved and important, because that's how God feels about her! Right now I'm just amazed and excited for whatever comes next.
So, if you're reading this, I would love ideas. Any scripture passage you think I should bring up, any idea for how to explain things to her in a way that would make sense, whatever you think. And please be praying for her heart and for my words. Pray that God would just pour through me and that I wouldn't get in the way. Pray that Chloe would understand and be moved to crave more. Pray that the campus changes. And pray that more people come along with whom I can talk to and who need the love and grace of Jesus.
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| This is Chloe :) |
