Commitment To Witness

In conducting a video interview with 22-year-old Lindsay, I discovered interesting insights into her beliefs and background. She was articulate, well-traveled, and open to discussing her beliefs. She spoke freely about her views of God or, in her case, god. She stated that god was everywhere and in everything, including the cigarette she was smoking. "I am smoking god," she said.

At various points in her life, Lindsay had tried Baptist churches, Catholic churches, Buddhist temples and even aura readings but found organized religion a major turnoff. She acknowledged the Bible had some good morals but believed that people take it too literally. She believed in miracles and even the possibility of the resurrection of Jesus. Regarding Jesus, she said he was a leader; whether he was a fictional or real leader does not matter to her.

Lindsay holds several other positions that are quite strange. She described God with impersonal language, yet when asked about what God requires of us, she used personal language to describe God. She did not believe in absolute truth, but in an individual absolute truth, even if the respective truths are in direct contradiction to each other.

How should the church and, in particular, individual Christians respond to the Lindsay’s – the confused who occupy every single neighborhood in America?

Lindsay may seem "out there," but in reality, most of the people who walk the streets – and many who occupy our church rolls – are confused as well.

Brothers and sisters, do you know what this young lady tells me? We live in a world of mixed up and messed up people who know little about God, Christ and eternal life!

And we need to recommit ourselves with a heart of compassion to reach all people for Christ! This is God’s purpose for our lives!