Street evangelists: Where did we go wrong?

Photo originally posted here

I was walking around downtown the other night with some of my friends from my hometown, and we somehow found our way to Bridgestone Arena, the go-to Nashville hangout for the night. Girls of every age, bearing colorful wigs and sequin dresses, flooded into the arena for the Katy Perry concert. What caught my eye, though, was outside the arena.

Two couples, both aged mid-30's at the most, were standing in front of the security entrance holding picket signs in one hand, microphones in the other. It was the usual "Don't do this or you'll go to hell" speech. I was interested in what they were saying, so I stood there and listened for a bit. Two teenage boys in front of me were harassing one of the men shouting profanities at him. After they walked off, I asked the man, "So why do you preach out of hate rather than love?" I clearly caught him off guard.

He pulled out his Bible to quote a passage from one of the psalms about God destroying those who do not follow Him; I wish I could remember which verse it was. He simply said that he was warning people against the wrath that would come upon them if they didn't turn and repent of their sins. Fair enough, I guess. He had Scripture to back it up, and he was stating word for word what he read in the Bible.

I then asked him if he knows of anybody asking God into their hearts in the times he's evangelized. "Not that I know of," he responded. Now, I'm not trying to say that evangelism is only successful if you bring somebody to Christ; I was just interested in finding out if people had been drawn to his tactics and if they'd asked him about Jesus.

The conversation didn't go very far after that, because he got frustrated and began shouting in his microphone again. I looked at his wife and said, "I just want you to know I'm praying for y'all. I'm being genuine, I mean it." She just looked at me with a blank stare, so I walked away.

I haven't been able to stop thinking about that conversation since last Friday night (cue the Katy Perry song).

This "Turn or Burn" tactic we've been preaching for so long has not only confused people, but it's pushed them further and further from Christianity. I've seen this kind of extreme on the streets of Chicago many times growing up, but perhaps a more common extreme I've seen is the exact opposite kind of evangelism: the silent kind.

I'm not talking the whole "Actions speak louder than words" thing. I'm talking silence. Cold, lifeless silence. Have we gotten so comfortable in our little church groups that we don't see what's happening in the world around us? Christianity is growing all over the world; the church is expanding into places where it's not even legal to say the word Jesus. But here we are in the United States, in a constantly shrinking church. And we don't care.

In America, Christians have a reputation of being judgmental and rude towards nonbelievers. And it's because of the evangelists screaming on street corners, trying to scare people into eternity.

But here's the thing: those street evangelists holding the picket signs, screaming at passersby, those are the ones doing something. They're not sitting in the comfort of their homes mindlessly watching HGTV home show reruns; they're on their feet, working to spread The Gospel.

So what have we missed?

I think we've missed what God called us to do in the first place. As Jesus left this earth and ascended into heaven, He told us exactly what we're to do:

"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" Matthew 28:18-20

Jesus didn't say, "Go and spread The Gospel when you feel like it." He wasn't just offering them a suggestion of what they could do; He commanded them.

Young believers, don't allow yourselves to become part of the silent generation that is ahead of you.

If those street evangelists make you angry, if you hate the reputation we as believers have been given, get up and do something about it. Show people love through our Heavenly Father; they might need love at that very moment more than you know. If you had the cure to cancer, would you keep it to yourself?

In the same way, as a Christ follower, you believe you've got the answer to every question ever asked; the key to living life abundantly. Are you just gonna sit on your butt and keep it to yourself?