“…I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22 – ESV). We see Paul’s wise approach to how he discipled people to faith on display in the manner he engaged the Greeks in Areopagus in Acts 17 (check out Peter Francis’s sermon at our church on Sunday). He paid close attention to the various cultural and religious beliefs and worldviews of the people he was in dialogue with, a context not dissimilar to ours.
In other words, as Pippert puts it, ‘we need to listen, and understand as best we can the context of those with whom we are sharing the gospel … The gospel is unchanging, but our context does affect the way we go about presenting the gospel”.
However, there is something else that is unchanging. Whatever our beliefs, spiritually or otherwise, there is one reality that cuts across every worldview: we’re wired to connect. It’s a basic need woven into what it means to be human. And here’s the thing – while internet has given us the most connected society in human history – instant access to anyone, anywhere and anytime – and yet somehow, meaningful connection feels harder to come by, not easier. People are struggling more than every with isolation and forming meaningful connections.
And this is where the church as a community and rediscovering the sacred call to hospitality comes in.
Pippert tells a story of a successful architect who shared with Dick, her husband, how he became a Christian at a chance meeting. One day, he decided to attend church for the first time with his wife but only as a favour to her. He had zero interest in faith. To his surprise, a distinguished older man came over to talk to him after the service. Then he invited the man and his wife back to their place for lunch, if they were free.
“I couldn’t believe that a stranger was warmly inviting me to his own home. We had a marvellous lunch. It was clear to me that he was a very successful businessman – you could tell by his quiet authority. But what struck me was the tremendous vitality of his love for Jesus. Just experiencing his kindness and seeing his faith made me know that I had to go back to church. We ended up joining, and I went every Sunday for the rest of the time we lived there. The man’s name was Dick Evenhouse”.
Dick was stunned. The architect asked, “What, do you know him?”. It turned out the man was Dick’s grandfather – the one he had been named after! The architect answered, “Well, your grandfather had a profound spiritual impact on my life”. Pippert reminds us that a being a community centred in Christ isn’t just about getting our own needs met. It is about being conduits of Jesus through simple hospitality, pointing people toward the connection every human heart is ultimately searching for.
Fisher of people,
Mark
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