Taking it to the Streets… How?
I came across an interesting article over at Relevant Magazine. In the article, he talks about an excentric character in his town that preaches the Gospel in some unorthodox ways. Most towns have them, and it reminded me of a similar preacher that used to appear on campus while I attended Appalachian State University several years back.
He would come blazing through town about once a month. There was a large grassy area at the center of campus. When the weather was nice enough, it was the hub of activity. This is where this street preacher would go. He carried a giant Bible and shook it in the air like a fiery sword. He would scream so loud his voice cracked. He would shout things like “Homosexuals will be judged by a Holy God!” and “Sinners are going to Hell! All are sinners!” Each bellowing statement was directed at any pedestrian that had the misfortune of walking within 5 feet of him.
As soon as he made eye contact with a passerby he would call them out individually by saying something like, “You, sir! You are a sinner! Do you want to go to Hell?” You can imagine the response he usually received. Typically he was informed that he was mistaken about who should be going to Hell and who should not. Many times he would get a crowd gathered and worked them into a riotous fervor. The responses were often angry. Often mocking.
On one such occasion it so happened that he was preaching on the same day that some art students were doing a “living art” demonstration in the same common area. The art students erected a wooden cross while a young man dressed in a black leather uni-suit strapped himself to it. Then a dominatrix whipped him on the cross. It was perhaps the most blasphemous thing I have ever witnessed. You could feel the heart of God both sorrowful and wrathful at the same time.
When the street preacher saw this, I thought his face would implode. He began screaming nonsensical things and shaking his finger at them violently. Within minutes, other people in the crowd were yelling at him, at each other, at anyone. There was some shoving and pushing. The preacher and one of the crowd members nearly came to blows. It was an absolute circus.
There was a poignant moment for me as I stood there watching. I suddenly felt like weeping. It was not because of the ignorant blasphemy I saw. No, it was because this preacher’s methods were so misguided he had ruined a God-given opportunity to deliver the Gospel. I realized in that moment that his anger and loveless message was actually causing this mob to sympathize with the art students and despise the true gospel. What would have happened had this preacher spent more time talking with students instead of yelling at them as they walked by? What would have happened if in that moment on the hill he already had the hearts of those students? What would have happened had the preacher quietly walked over to the young man tied to the cross, removed his bonds and put himself on the cross in his place?
I certainly understand that there is scriptural precedent for preaching aloud in the marketplace. Nor is having everyone receive your message the primary criteria for success. John the Baptist and Jesus are both excellent proof of that! But don’t we need to look at our motives as well as our methods and ask the question, “What Gospel are we preaching and how can we best preach it?”
Let us know what you think in the comments. Certainly most of us have had similar experiences.
Technorati Tags: Jesus, Christ, Gospel, Preaching, Street Preaching, Evangelism, Outreach, Marketplace Ministry, Blasphemy, John the Baptist, Bible, Scripture
Categorized as Life/Church Life
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