The Gospel, by Jesus' definition then demands that we look at "the other" with anticipation–anticipation that through them, we may discover a piece of God's presence, of what God is doing in the world.
Brian McLaren's book, More Ready Than You Realize is a wonderful book on the subject of "evangelism." In this book, McLaren argues that Christians ought to begin counting conversations as much as we count conversions. In essence, McLaren was claiming that if we dared to listen, we would find God already at work within the lives of individuals. If you follow the story of God's people throughout the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) you will discover that they learn the nature of God, draw closer to God and–frankly–are saved by "the others" that their lives intersect with. Evangelism has as much to do with listening as it does with announcing.
As we enter into Advent–this season of anticipation, do we anticipate the activity of God in the lives of those we meet? It requires that we watch and listen with anticipation.
How well do we listen to the stories of others? How well do we know our own?
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