Open your eyes

I wear trifocals. I joke that this means I cannot see in any direction! But there is seeing and there is “seeing.”

An eye-opening encounter

Recently Lynda and I took a trip to downtown Boston to do the tourist thing around Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. Since our commuter rail only ran every two hours, we made our way to the Back Bay Station early to head home. The platform was empty except for one man at the far end of the farthest bench. He was in a jacket with worn sleeves. A little cart sat next to him. He did not make eye contact.

As Lynda prayed for a spiritual conversation opportunity, I greeted him.

“Where are you headed?”

“Starting a trip to California.”

“Oh, what draws you to California?”

“Speaking tour about religion and art.”

Over the next hour plus train ride, we learned his story. Raised in the Catholic Church, lost his job, lost his apartment, lived on the streets of Boston for almost 10 years. Yet, amid his homelessness, he was drawn to the Gospels. There he found Jesus!

I thought I would be ministering to him. But he ministered to us! He wanted to tell people about how Jesus understood homelessness, so he began to paint and sculpt — powerful stories of Christ and the Church. Someone saw his art and invited him to speak at a seminary class in Boston. That led to another speaking engagement and another! Soon those students graduated and were now pastoring churches across the United States. So, he was on his way to Berkeley to share his art and story in a church now pastored by one of those students. 

He invited us to take a tour of Boston with him to see Boston through the eyes of a homeless man.  

Wow! I saw people I had not noticed before. Learned the preferred benches to stay on at night, the places that provide food. Joined in a noon worship service for the homeless which included lunch in a church near the Boston Commons.

Do you see the fields?

Jesus said, “Open your eyes and look at the fields.  They are ripe for harvest.”  (John 4:35)

That day I confessed to my new friend and to the Lord that I have been living with eyes that were closed to many around me each day. Why?

Do you find yourself hesitant to step into new or uncomfortable situations? Do you walk on the other side of the street when confronted with someone who represents all that you do not want to be?

As a church, are we failing to impact our community because we let our personal fears, insecurities or comfort become an impenetrable filter over our capacity to see that the people all around us need Jesus? 

Perhaps we can learn a lesson from my friend from Back Bay Station. Jesus could walk into His situation because He understood, He cared, He loved. Perhaps our struggle in evangelism is not about our program or our strategy but is because deep down we are not sure that Jesus is enough.

Would you like to explore how you and your church can strengthen your lifestyle of evangelism?  Contact your Church Growth Team.

Stanley Smith serves as the interim church growth team leader for the Baptist Convention of New England.