What do I say when…?
I often feel that I fumble opportunities to say something Christian in a conversation, especially with those who are not Christians. I suspect I am not the only one! Much of the time I say nothing at all of any real value. Other times I mumble something that may be true but is unlikely to grab their attention or direct them to what really matters.
So how can we do better? If people know we are Christians, they are likely to ask our opinion of things from time to time. So, what if someone asks, “What do you think of the appointment of the new Archbishop of Canterbury?” Well, we could comment on the merits of the appointment process, or whether it is good to have an old Etonian in the post (as I write this, it is only rumoured that will be Justin Welby). But can we say something that will get us nearer to talking about the gospel, about Jesus?
It’s not easy to do, and it took me some time to think this one through, but we could reply along these lines: “One of the Bible’s requirements for a Christian leader is that, ‘He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it’. So I hope he does that. I hope he holds firmly to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, who died for our sins, rose from the dead and is coming one day.” [The Bible quotation is Titus 1:9, NIV]. And then we can ask them what they think!