Friend of Sinners

I would never have said that I have the gift of evangelism.

Back in the day when we were youth leaders and we'd take our kids on those trips into the inner city New York or downtown Bar Harbor to "blitz" the town with tracts, I used to cringe. I HATED these trips. (Yes. It is now safe for me to say this. We are no longer employed as youth leaders). These were, hands down, my very least favorite kinds of trips to go on. So very far out of my comfort zone. But, that's okay...there's a place for those kinds of trips, for sure.

But what I would do...is I would go and find myself a bench where I could see all of my kids and make sure that they were all right....and I would find someone my own age who was sitting by themselves, and I would strike up a conversation with them...and we would happily pass the time away getting to know each other!

So when we all got back in the van to share our success stories...I never had any. But I would often have the feeling of, "Wow. I think I just made a new friend!" Many times I would end those trips feeling like I was a failure and that I hadn't been a very good example to my girls....who were, by way...doing a rockin' job of bravely blitzing and preaching the word!

But, as I've been reading this book, I'm having a complete 180 degree turn and shift in my thinking in this whole arena of evangelizing and witnessing. I know for a fact that very few in my generation would be affected by the "blitzing" method nowadays. And I can pretty much stake my life on the belief that the generation coming up behind me wouldn't be too keen on that as well.

Why? Because we all want relationship first. We want to see authenticity before we hear the truth. We want to see those words lived out before we ever hear them. People want to feel and experience the Gospel way before they ever get preached to about it.

I think that Jesus was pretty much a rebel in His day. (Maybe not....this is just Amy's ramblings...but I can do that....it's my blog..) But he was KNOWN as a "friend of SINNERS." This was one of the titles given to Him.

I have been told that He was a friend only so long as He shared the good news with them...and if they rejected His teachings He took a stance and was a friend no more. But, I'm not so sure about that. Jesus hung out with the unlovely. He ate meals - one of the deepest forms of fellowship and communion - with all sorts of the untouchables of His time.

And, if what they say is true - how does Judas fit into the equation? We know for a fact that he was a sinner...and I'm pretty darn sure that Jesus knew He was going to ultimately betray and reject him. Yet...he walked with and lived life with Jesus for three years. I'm pretty sure that's called being a "friend."

Just stuff I'm chewing on. Stuff I'm thinking about in the context of my workplace.

Before reading this book? This is how it would've gone down in my workplace:

:: I would have let them know that I was displeased with their swearing in front of me.
:: I would have proudly made a point that I would NOT be needing to clock out for smoke breaks, because I don't smoke.
:: Early on, I would have snuck in the little tidbit that Kevin and I did NOT live together before we were married.
:: And to be honest...among many other things I would have taken early stances on....I probably wouldn't have even considered working at a place that sells beer...because the area that I grew up in sees drinking on equal footing with murder. Just kidding. Kind of.

But, do you know what? I don't want to be seen as just another one of those Christians who has a list of things they don't do that's a mile long. I'm kind of done with that. I want people to see something different in me. I don't care if they swear. I don't care if they drink and smoke. I don't care if they're living with their boyfriend.

I DO. But I don't......

I care more about THEM. And I want them to see JESUS in me...NOT a non-smoking, non-drinking, clean as a whistle mouth who doesn't approve of what they do. They know already, that there's something different. It doesn't need to be said. And if I'm going to do ANY preaching to them - especially in the early months where they really don't know me from a hole in the ground yet, I'm going to LOVE them the way that Christ loved the woman caught in adultery, the way he loved Judas - the betrayer of their friendship, the way he loved Zaccheus and chose to eat at HIS house above everyone else's, and the way He loved the woman at the well.

All outcasts.
All hurting people.
There were no sermons preached or stones thrown.
There was relationship. And there was trust built.
There was something attractive in Him that they WANTED.

A delicate line to walk? For sure.
Potential risk? Yup.
Possible judgment and misconception from others? Planning on it.

Am I going to go and get sloshed with them after to work so that I can fit in? No.
Am I going to start throwing the F-bomb around? Uh. That's a negative.
Am I going to throw a party for the girl who moves in with her boyfriend? Nope.

But if one of my young co-workers invites me to lunch and wants to share her heart with me....and she chooses the local pub as her restaurant of choice....I'll go.
And I'll walk outside and visit with my co-workers while they're having their smoke breaks.
And I'll get a baby gift for the little pregnant, unwed, single Mama.
And if one of them asks me to babysit their children, I will.
And if I get an invite to their home, I'll go.
And I'll go to our Christmas party at our local casino.

I'll be a friend. I'll walk alongside. I'll live life with them.

Do I have the gift of evangelism? Not in the traditional sense...NO, I do not.
But do I want to be a friend of sinners - a true friend?
A million times yes, I do.

I know for a fact that they're not ready - nor do they have any desire to step foot into any church any time soon. So, I'm going to take the church to them. I'm going to BE the church. I'm going to live the way that I think Jesus lived. And once they know that I really do love them and accept them for who they are...then maybe, just maybe....they'll want my Jesus too. I want them to FEEL Jesus..and then when they ask....I WILL explain it.

And if I'm called a rebel for doing all of this and for living it out this way....well, I'm sure Jesus got that title a few times, too. And I guess I'm okay with that.

More to come......