1 PETER 3:14b-16a
The wonderful Disciples congregation I served in northwest Indiana was in the
shadow of an enormous congregation well known for its evangelistic efforts. They
would hit the streets of Hammond, East Chicago, and even the South Side of Chicago,
by the hundreds. This outreach was done on Saturday. And on Sunday, they would bus
kids from north and south, east and west, to their first-rate Sunday School.
I was “hit up” (i.e. approached) by two of their evangelists: “If you die today, do
you know where you’re going to spend eternity?” What a way to start a conversation!
Before I render constructive criticism, I will say that I admired their zeal forevangelism,
to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. I wish more of us in the mainline had
that ardor to share our particular story of new life in Christ. With this said…
There was nothing “good” about the the “good news” they were sharing. If you’re
going to hell, where is the hope? If you’re on your way to heaven, at best, it’s delayed
good news–with little consequence for the here and now.
Peter in his first epistle reminds us that evangelism is about offering hope here and
now–and offering it in humility and reverence: “Always be prepared to give an answer
to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have, yet do it with
gentleness and reverence. .” Hope is the calling forth of the “new heaven/new earth”
promise of the Reign of God, and letting that promise shape our present. There’s no
delay to that good news. Hope, not fear, gives shape to our evangelistic efforts.
Another key word in verse 15 is ἀπολογίαν (apologia, from which “apologetics” is
derived), which is translated in many ways: “defense”, “answer” or “account”. Apologia
speaks of conviction and certitude. We are to evangelize with conviction and passion,
not rooted in not our correctness or our “specialness” as Christians, but in the promisekeeping
God, in the resurrected Christ, the abiding Holy Spirit. They’re is no delay to
that good news, about that we can certain.
Yet our certitude and passion in Christ is to be tempered by humility and respect.
The evangelistic modesty Peter is prescribing comes from recognizing two things: 1)
that salvation (and the hope it yields) is a gift from God, not a reward; and 2) that God
is much bigger than our individual divine encounters, than our languages of faith, than
even our Christian Tradition. As King Solomon declared, “God cannot be contained by
any temple made by human hands.” (1 Chronicles )
In and through Christ, I have found an indestructible hope which anchors. And if
you ask me, I will passionately and humbly tell you about it.
Prayer: God, help my humility, and help my respect for all of your children with
whom I share the news of God’s transforming love.
Amen.
Jose Morales is regional minister for the rocky mountain region and an
excellent DJ.