Tuesday, September 06, 2005
IS THE MESSAGE TOO STARK ?
Robert Duncan linked a story at Spero in a comments box below. While the tract and commentary being offered are true, are they too stark to be given to someone who has just lost everything? Should it be sugar coated so that those who hear it do not lose heart and faith if they already have it?
The message can only be effective if it is accompanied by practical help with current material needs. If the person pointing our attention to God is also providing what is desperately needed, the recipient may listen. That has been the technique of Catholic missionaries for centuries.
Most people are disinclined to listen to such a message when everything is going well. It is only when we have the rug ripped out from under us that we are open to consider we might be missing something. When solid ground is gone, we turn to God. I tend to believe that those moments are His wake-up call, and I also tend to believe that He engineers them.
