By Victor Ochieng
When a close person of our age passes on, we often selfishly ask, “what if it were me?” The death of a close friend or relative still remains as one of the experiences that demonstrate the reality and pain of death.
But things are changing fast. Now fewer Americans think about death or even what happens after someone dies. This is especially true among young adults.
A study conducted between 2006 and 2008 by Lifeway Research and highlighted in “Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches That Reach Them” found out that 55% of young adults either never think about death or if they do, do so just once a year.
What is it like sharing the gospel with such people? The fact of the matter is that some people seek God out of fear of the unknown – what happens after death. With our young adults not giving much thought about death or eternity, what approach would be best to share the gospel with them?
Clearly, our evangelism methodology cannot remain the same, understanding that our lot neither reflects on heavenly life nor worry about the prospect of hell. When dealing with this group, we have to address the issue of death prudently even though it’s none of their worries. This basically signals that within the first 15 minutes of a dialogue, asking spiritually analytical queries about the everlasting state of somebody’s soul may not be the finest of ideas.
Christians should encourage people to reflect on eternity by asking them if they know what would become of them after death. Where do the dead go? Is there a God? What are some of the things in the world that show that there is some supernatural power beyond human comprehension? What are some of the prophesies in the Bible that check with scientific findings to the extent that they give credence to the Holy book?
Pastors and leaders too should encourage their parishioners to evangelize in such a way that the evangelism begins with the known towards the deeper revelations of the spirit.
A good example is that of an Egyptian woman who took a very human approach to evangelism, doing it in such an irresistible way. Living in Brooklyn, she opened up her life and household to support Arab-speaking women who wanted to adjust to America. She shared with them about immigration, American foods, schools and more. More and more of the beneficiaries of her generosity asked her why she was supporting them and she seized every opportunity whenever that question arose to share the gospel. She said, “I love them until they ask me, ‘Why?’”
Her approach made her audience more receptive to the good news she was sharing, also allowing her to talk about death and eternity.
To be a true witness, we have to serve as the epitome of selfless love.
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