It was early in the 1980's, I was single, and in my early twenties when I heard the knock on my door. I opened up to two men, dressed nicely and holding what appeared to be bibles. As a new Christian, I heard about various religions and had been encouraged by the older saints, to avoid them. Not a problem you would think, but I was a bit of a rebel and I like to know things for myself, so this was an opportunity. I listened to their talk for a moment- they were kind and seemed sincere, so we agreed they would come back the next week. As I closed the door, I felt really good about the encounter, I was open.. just not to anything, but I was open to them; they carried their faith well.
When they returned, they were accompanied by a third person. I was a bit more apprehensive since I was alone in my apartment. That third man I called "The Converter".
CONVERSION ATTEMPT
I could tell that the previous men were in training because when I would ask questions, "The Converter" chimed in. I really love talking about scripture so everything was going well, then things got weird. Here were a few of my concerns:
- I was offered a second book (The bible says if anyone brings you another gospel they should be accursed Gal 1:8) That did not set good with me, but I stayed open.
- Next they talked about another prophet that had a dream and wrote their book. (not a problem because the bible was written by men and inspired by God 2 Tim 3:16) but it was in a new book...
- They began to talk about (3) heavens: Celestial, Terrestrial and another that I can't recall. That was not a problem either since we know there are levels in heaven. The air where the birds are, where the stars are and where God resides. We continued...
- To enter the heavens, I had to 1. Gain a body, 2. have faith and 3. keep the commandments and 4. something about baptism was in there too.
This is where my new bible study fell off. I was young, but I also studied my bible. There were questions I had about the deity of Jesus Christ, they didn't believe He was anything other than a prophet. When they spoke of keeping the commandments, I understood that we are saved by grace, not by works- so I wanted clarity. I asked questions about the (3) heavens and where you went if you gained a body and had faith, but was not baptized. I was not trying to be difficult, but I had legitimate questions. All they kept telling me over, and over was "We know and believe that the things we tell you are true." After awhile I thanked them, let them know that what I believed I also knew to be true and they left.
ANOTHER CONVERSION ATTEMPT
Fast Forward to 2017: I was chilling on my couch after a busy day when I heard the knock on the door. I peered through the window- then answered it; there stood two smiling young ladies. We greeted and they began a pitch that was somewhat familiar. This time there was no need for another visit, I already knew what they believed and respected the fact that they were outside in the heat getting eaten by mosquitos. They asked me questions about the faith I told them I've had since 1980. I mentioned that I worked at a church and when they asked I gave more information about my faith, the location of my church as well as how long I have been saved. After all of that, the first girl asked an interesting question. "Have you asked God about your beliefs?" I smiled and told them that I ask Him often, He told me to acknowledge Him in all my ways and I took it literally. So I ask Him about a lot, maybe too much. At that point one of the young women said with confidence...
"We know and believe that the things we are telling you are true." I smiled.
I began to explain to them the core of my faith which is in LOVE. I mentioned that we all have various beliefs, but the way that we speak of the God we serve is how we love others. I went on for a moment and noticed the change in the face of the second girl. Her countenance seemed to soften and she began to nod her head. Once we exchanged goodbyes and they walked away, I didn't feel like 'I WON!", I simply felt good. I had an opportunity to interact with God's creation, and I respected them in the midst of obvious differences.
CONVERSION IS NOT OUR PRIMARY GOAL
I believe when it comes to reaching people of other faiths, it is difficult. More than anything it requires that we understand that sometimes our job is just to plant; other times we may be the ones watering... but God and only God makes the seed grow. We are only responsible for what we are 'response able'... I am not able to make you believe, or to validate your faith... that comes from God.
One thing I appreciate about my 2017 encounter is that they have basically been trained the same way. My first encounter was over 30 years ago, these two young women were not even born then! But we see that the baton has been passed on. As Christians, we can certainly learn from that. Instead of fighting each other for what we disagree on, why not love each other and pass our faith on to the next generation with good answers as to 'why'. Give them the tools to encounter their peers and always have an answer for what they believe. Allow them to be able to 'Know and believe that these things are true.'
If you find yourself in the company of people who believe different than you, understand it is not necessary to MAKE them give up what they believe. Just like they could not make me turn away from what I have spent over 30 years cultivating. Know that how you love people will be the best witnessing tool you can ever use. Allow people to see the CORE of who you are and what you believe in, that will draw better than proving them wrong.