Personal Evangelism: a Surprising Book

Raw. It is a word with a lot of different connotations. It could mean, "Dangerous," like uncooked meat. It could mean, "Healthy," like a salad. It could mean, "Damaged," like flesh rubbed raw. When it comes to Evangelism, it can mean uncut, unedited, unprocessed. Yes, it can be healthy, but it can still be dangerous. And, the flavor of raw evangelism can be startlingly strong like raw garlic or raw broccoli. But, it is what it is. When people come in contact with other people, the interactions can rub a person the wrong way: particularly when those interactions take place in the midst of evangelism. The word, "Evangelism," comes from Greek meaning the spreading of "Good News." But, people have all sorts of hang-ups around the ideas behind evangelism and have a lot of different ideas about what is right and wrong. Sometimes, when you confront people with new ideas about what is right and wrong, those hang-ups can blow up in your face. Often, when people don't understand the finer points of right and wrong, they can do things that are wrong without meaning to do so, and the results can be touching...or frightening...and sometimes very funny.

The book, B-More Stories by Jeff Elkins, is a raw book. And, even if he wasn't thinking about it this way when he wrote it, it reflects the realities of personal evangelism. He calls it fiction, but it has a lot of truth in it...sort of like Pilgrim's Progress...except that B-More Stories isn't an allegory. Although everyone recognizes that the characters from Pilgrim's Progress weren't literal individuals in a history book sense, there was still a lot of truth in Pilgrim's Progress. So it is with "B-More Stories".  Although the characters in the book are not meant to be actual individuals, there is a lot of truth in the interactions between the characters.

The book has 21 short stories about life in Baltimore and many of the characters are involved in church activities or are actually pastors. The 21 different stories often re-use characters, and don't flow from one to the next. So, while it isn't really a novel, it is more than 21 individual stories. One of the stories captures the awkwardness of a white man getting his hair cut at an all black barber shop. At the end of the story, after the men in the shop have very candidly shown their feelings about a local church and the pastor at that church, the white customer reveals that he is a pastor, but breaks the awkwardness partially by telling them a joke. He shows the men he's with that he doesn't have any hard feelings towards them because of their dislike for abuse of church authority.

When I read/hear about "personal evangelism," I mostly find that the term revolves around training non-professionals in how to share the gospel with people one on one, but it also means building relationships. It means getting people comfortable with Christianity one-on-one or in small groups rather than confronting them with their sinfulness by yelling at them from a street corner. It isn't what is done from the pulpit, either.

Another story is about a pastor receiving a phone call from a man who wants the pastor to find a good Christian man for his girlfriend to sleep with. Yes, you read that right. I know, it doesn't make any sense...at least at first. However, as the story goes on, he reveals that his girlfriend won't have sex with him because he isn't a Christian. He thinks that sex is good. Since he loves his girlfriend, he thinks she should have sex. So, he's trying to find someone for her to have sex with.

As strange and twisted as that may sound, when I am out witnessing to people on the streets, I routinely hear things which make as little sense to me as the above described phone call. The strange and twisted things people come up with are often hard to believe. (As in, "I can't believe I just heard what I think I heard.") And, people often say such things using so much profanity it practically makes one's ears wilt. Is that hard to take some times? Yes. But, these people don't see any point in abstaining from profanity. And why should they? They don't believe the Bible, so what difference does it make to them if it says we shouldn't speak that way? So, they try to look cool and use lots of profanity.

The book also has some stories about some murders taking place in the area. I'm not sure exactly what to make of these. Maybe they are in the book to add "interest" for those not interested in just stories about lives of pastors. Maybe they are there to show that people sometimes do bad things out of confusion or confused motives. I don't know. But, on the whole, it was a very well written book. (Now, since I've put affiliate links on the page, if you decide to buy using my links, I could make a few cents. If that makes you think this review is suspect, fine. But, I really am trying to be honest about the book here. :-) Also, in the interests of full disclosure, my copy of the book was free in exchange for an honest review on Amazon. By reviewing it here, too, I'm going above and beyond my agreement. But, I think the book is worth it!) If you've read this book or would like to comment on any other aspect of this post, I'd be delighted to hear from you. Please contribute to the conversation. If you'd prefer to let me know what you think through twitter (@DaveDerPunkt), that would be great, too. Happy reading and God bless!

Weed and the Gospel

Many of the arguments against using drugs are the same regardless of the drug. However, many of us don't know those arguments (when it comes to drug use and Christianity), so I thought I'd write up a quick synopsis of them. There may well be more, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments, but this is the way I'm thinking about it currently.

The first argument has to do with the meaning of the word from the Bible translated as sorcery. Although most of us don't think of sorcery today as having anything to do with drugs, in the time the new testament was written, it did. This comes as a surprise to most people I talk to when I'm out witnessing in the streets, but if you look it up in "Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary," it is right there in black and white. I had a hard time with this, although I heard friends of mine saying things about this on a regular basis, until I looked it up myself. The definition given in Vine's is pretty explicit, so I will quote extensively here.

Sorcery:
A. Nouns
1. pharmakia (leaving out the greek spelling) (Eng., "pharmacy," etc.) primarily signified "the use of medicine, drugs, spells"; then, "poisoning"; then, "sorcery," Gal. 5:20, RV, "sorcery" (KJV, "witchcraft"), mentioned as one of "the works of the flesh." See also Rev. 9:21, 18:23. In the Septuagint, Ex 7:11, 22; 8:7, 18; Isa 47:9, 12. In "sorcery," the use of drugs, whether simple or potent, was generally accompanied by incantations and appeals to occult powers, with the provision of various charms, amulets, etc., professedly designed to keep the applicant or paitient from the attention and power of demons, but actually to impress the applicant with the mysterious resources and powers of the sorcerer.

The word "sorcerer" is only slightly different. The second meaning in Vine's for "sorcerer" is as follows.

2. pharmakos (greek spelling omitted), an adjective signifying "devoted to magical arts," is used as a nound, "a sorcerer," especially one who uses drugs, potions, spells, enchantments, Rev 21:8, in the best texts (some have pharmakeus), and 22:15.

Both "Sorcery" and "Sorcerer" are sometimes the words used as the translation of words of another root, "magos", whose definition doesn't have anything overtly to do with "drugs" or "potions". However, for your ease of reading, I've included some of the above cited verses below.

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

 First of all, sorcerers are listed right along with murderers, whoremongers (RSV uses "fornicators" here. Several other translations say just, "sexually immoral people") and idolaters, each of which is worthy of death in the old testament law. Second, it says that these people "shall have their part in the lake which burn[s] with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." That sounds pretty bad to me. Going from Vine's definition alone, one might say, "Well, the problem with whatever it was these people were doing was that they were actually committing idolatry. It had nothing to do with the drug usage." But, idolatry is listed, too. So, if idolatry was the only problem going on, it wouldn't be listed separately. In Rev 22:15, we see that sorcerers are not going to be allowed to enter into the "New Jerusalem" with the murderers, whoremongers and idolaters. In Gal 5:20, the word for "witchcraft" is pharmakeia. In Gal 5:21, we find that people who practice "pharmakeia" (right along with, again, murderers and such) "shall not inherit the kingdom of God." There doesn't seem to be any symbolism there. As if "lake of fire" and shut out of "New Jerusalem" weren't enough, those who do "pharmakeia" won't inherit the kingdom of God.

If you haven't ever tried to witness to people about the Gospel and had them try to justify themselves, then it might be hard to imagine all the different ways people try to wiggle out of their responsibility to do what's right. In case you, like me, think the above things make "doing drugs" look like something we really ought to avoid, I'll try to help you see things from the point of view of those I witness to. They say things like, "Well, maybe it was some other drug that was being talked about there. How do I know that is really talking about weed?" In response, I try to explain to them the principle behind these prohibitions. I tell them this is no different from alcohol usage (1 Cor 6:9-10, no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of heaven). The thing that unites the two is Matt 5:28, "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." The point here is not that a man can't look at a woman. The point is also not that a man can't feel attracted to a woman. Rather, if a man notices that he is being tempted to do something he should not (lusting after a woman he's not married to), he should avoid the source of the temptation. That is, a man being tempted by a woman's beauty should look away! The problem with both alcohol and weed is that they both dull the mind and prevent people from being able to choose right from wrong.

The third argument is that marijuana should be avoided because it is simply not good for you. This argument has a number of different approaches. We are told we are not to defile the temple, and the body of the believer is the temple of the Lord. (retort: What does it mean to defile the temple?) We are not to commit murder, and because we are killing ourselves by smoking (whether marijuana or tobacco), we are committing murder by smoking.

The obviousness of the above is pretty clear to me. However, when I bring this line of reasoning out into the streets, I'm often told, "Oh, no. Neither alcohol nor weed does that to me." I used to drink alcohol, and I find it hard to believe that it doesn't make it more difficult for ANYONE to do what is right. I've never used marijuana, but I've watched people who have, and having done that has been enough for me. Today, though, I found a book in the library that gives me further evidence to support my ideas. It is "Forensic Pharmacology," by Beth and Morris Zedeck, 2007. On p. 51, it says the following.

Marijuana has a range of behavioral effects, including feelings of euphoria, relaxation, mood changes, panic reactions, and paranoia. It also causes an altered time perception, lack of concentration, and impairs judgment, learning, and memory. [...] Other changes include psychosis, delusions, and hallucinations. [...] The physiological effects of marijuana include increased heart rate, dryness of the mouth and throat, increased appetite, enlargement of the blood vessels and pupils, sleepiness, decreased repiration rate, and psychomotor impairment. Ataxia (unsteady balance) and bloodshot eyes are characteristic of marijuana intoxication. Use of marijuana over a long period of time can cause lung damage, impairment of cognitive function, alteration of the immune system, reduced testosterone levels and enlarged breast tissue in males, and schizophrenia, a mental disorder that results in disorganized behavior and social withdrawal.

A friend of mine once told me about a movie he considered to be completely ridiculous called, "Reefer madness," which he said claimed some of those same things. As I remember, his rationale was, "I've known a lot of people who have used pot, and none of them had the things happen that were portrayed in that movie." I've not seen that movie, but if a book on "Forensic Pharmacology" says these things happen, I believe it does happen. How often, I don't know. However, is it really something that should be risked? I personally don't want to mess with anything that could cause me to become schizophrenic. 

1Cr 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Now, knowing what marijuana does to people (from a medical/pharmacological perspective), is using it really something likely to be "to the glory of God?"