7.22.10

Journal excerpt (7.18.10)

I think, perhaps, that sometimes we take the wrong approach to sharing the Gospel. I mean, we are trying to share a truth of such depth that simply presenting it or thrusting it upon someone or acting like we're trying to sell it to them is both ineffective and perhaps even disrespectful to both that person and the message itself. To me, its like sharing the truth of oneself; if we simply have social experiences in order to try and show other people who we are and convince them to like us, then perhaps we are doing things incorrectly. Understanding truth comes with time and because of love; to truly love someone we must truly understand them - see them as God sees them - and allow our actions to change accordingly. If we want someone to understand and love us, that is wonderful and perhaps a worthy pursuit, but it is ultimately something we cannot control and should not try to. We can only purify ourselves and seek to selflessly understand and love others; only then will we avoid the addictive, selfish, and dangerously validating trap of selling the product of a shallow friendship - we will be culturing an environment of mutual edification in which truth is present, changes of heart and action occur, and charity is possible. Then, when someone begins to understand us, they learn the message through who we are and begin to cultivate the seed by loving us. That is, they begin to experience true joy through the edifying relationship that both parties have nourished. Is sharing the Gospel so different? Perhaps it needs to be in certain situations, but I think that the method for understanding truth may apply across all areas of life. I therefore think that we can do our best in sharing the Gospel through true friendships.