7 Reasons Christians Travel
Evangelism
We are called upon by Jesus to be evangelists. Mark 16: 15 “And then Jesus told them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone, everywhere”.Simply put, the reason that we should be evangelists is because Jesus told us to. He said to go. He didn’t say to stay. He also said to talk to everyone, and to do that everywhere. Spreading the news is not always easy, but when traveling, sometimes unexpected opportunities arise. Jackie and I were on a cruise ship headed for Antarctica. I cannot think of a more remote place on earth. We saw no people there, only penguins. In truth, we were not headed there with the primary purpose of spreading the Word. At dinner one Wednesday night we were talking with the people at our table about the Falkland islands, an upcoming port of call. One gentleman knew a great deal about the islands and the war that took place there in 1982. We had just met this man so it surprised me when he said that we should visit St. Mary’s church in Port Stanley because he could see that we were Christians and that we might want to visit this church, the most southern in the world. I hadn’t said much yet, how did he “see” that I was a Christian? Turns out, he was literally reading my face. Jackie and I had attended Ashe Wednesday service earlier in the day, and I had forgotten that the ashes were still on my forehead. The ice had been broken and the talk at the table turned to a discussion of faith.
Spreading the word, sharing your faith, can be very effective even if you are not the one starting the dialogue. This discussion of faith in the cold, dark waters near Antarctica occurred because a stranger wanted to spread the knowledge he had about a place. If I hadn’t had ashes on my forehead, the same opportunity could have happened by my wearing a cross, or a shirt with a message, or by me simply telling a story about a place I visited previously. By just wearing your faith on your sleeve, or forehead, you allow others to evangelize to you. Once the conversation begins, others will take notice as well.
Christian destinations where you or I would go for insight or inspiration also tend to be destinations where all tourists go. If I were in India, I would visit the Taj Majal. So, expect that a Hindu in Rome would visit St Peter’s. In both cases, the magnificence of the building is the draw. The original purpose of grand cathedrals and church commissioned works of art was to draw people to them. But this is just the ice breaker. It is once people have gathered that the message can be shared. As a Christian, I don’t want others to think that the only reason that I’m in St Peter’s is because of the architecture. Even if I only talk to other Christians there, others will notice. Philippians 2:1-2 “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, knowing one another, and working together with one heart and purpose.” Whether fellow Christians find you on the high seas, or you find other Christians in the most likely places, the fellowship of others Christians is evangelism.
Spreading the word, sharing your faith, can be very effective even if you are not the one starting the dialogue. This discussion of faith in the cold, dark waters near Antarctica occurred because a stranger wanted to spread the knowledge he had about a place. If I hadn’t had ashes on my forehead, the same opportunity could have happened by my wearing a cross, or a shirt with a message, or by me simply telling a story about a place I visited previously. By just wearing your faith on your sleeve, or forehead, you allow others to evangelize to you. Once the conversation begins, others will take notice as well.
Christian destinations where you or I would go for insight or inspiration also tend to be destinations where all tourists go. If I were in India, I would visit the Taj Majal. So, expect that a Hindu in Rome would visit St Peter’s. In both cases, the magnificence of the building is the draw. The original purpose of grand cathedrals and church commissioned works of art was to draw people to them. But this is just the ice breaker. It is once people have gathered that the message can be shared. As a Christian, I don’t want others to think that the only reason that I’m in St Peter’s is because of the architecture. Even if I only talk to other Christians there, others will notice. Philippians 2:1-2 “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, knowing one another, and working together with one heart and purpose.” Whether fellow Christians find you on the high seas, or you find other Christians in the most likely places, the fellowship of others Christians is evangelism.