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To: SuziQ; CynicalBear; one Lord one faith one baptism
The question of "how" to evangelize an urgent one for me.

I have become concerned about one person I care about, a highly vulnerable young adult who calls himself "gay" but as far as I know has never had sexual contact with anyone, male or female. (Not that I'm surveilling him nor plying him with intimate questions; I've only observed -- and heard from him --- that he's quite a lonely as well as a stay-at-home type: no lover, no bars, no prowling about public places etc.)

His main problem in fact seems to be personal isolation, plus confusion. For instance, he sees Lady Gaga as a "compassionate" person, since she "reaches out" to people who are "different." Now, I have a fundamentally "different" view of Lady Gaga (!), but I must say that --- in her perverted as well as crassly self-promoting and money-making way --- she is appealing successfully to young confused people.

How successfully? Well, just her "official-version" youtube video of "Born This Way" has had 66 million viewers. And that's just one of hundreds of versions that are out there.

My thought is not that I want to "reach out like Lady Gaga does," but to "teach as Jesus did." He didn't lead off by giving people a moral evaluation of them at their worst. His "approach" was communication and rescue. To the Samaritan woman at the well, "Let's talk." To the woman caught in adultery, "Neither do I condemn you."

And then later: "Go and sin no more."

He didn't omit a moral judgment of their sin, but neither did He begin His ministry to them by saying "You slut," or "What you do is disgusting," or "Keep it up and you're going to hell."

First he communicated. He demonstrated "I'm here for you." It's not just confronting a sinner with a word of judgment: it's the encounter of a whole person with a whole person. At the right time --- when they were listening --- stronger doses of the truth the saves.

From Him who is the Love that saves.

They knew that. That's why they were listening.

Do you see what I'm getting at?

36 posted on 07/10/2011 2:22:08 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o ("It is God our Savior's will that all men be saved, and come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Tim 2:4)
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To: Mrs. Don-o; SuziQ; CynicalBear

i have come across situations like this in my life and it is very hard. we, in our own flesh and our own ideas will surely not handle it properly and in all likelihood, drive the person away from Christ. what has helped me is to pray that the Father’s will be done and that the Holy Spirit guide me to do the Father’s will. the greatest comfort is to realize God does the saving, all we can do is follow the Holy Spirit as He opens doors for us. i also think about something that is attributed to St Francis ( i think ) “ preach always and sometimes use words” i will be praying for you and please keep me in your prayers.


37 posted on 07/10/2011 2:36:22 PM PDT by one Lord one faith one baptism
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