At the end of July, we went on a brief vacation to New Hampshire. I was impressed by the many surfers at our beach. Some would be out in the frigid ocean before 7 in the morning and not leave the water until 8 or 9 at night. Heads bobbling just above the surface, they would wait endlessly in the ocean, holding onto their white surf boards at water level in their black wet suits, hoping for the perfect wave so that, when it came along, they could ride it for 1, 2, 3, 4, maybe 5 seconds.
How many
times do we tread water while we wait for just the perfect wave to come, the
perfect time to act?
Are we
as prepared and dedicated as these surfers?
Is our
hope more sure than their perfect brief wave?
I was
reminded of Peter’s encouragement to the dispersed Christians in ancient
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia who were experiencing
mistreatment by their neighbors: “Sanctify the Lord Jesus in your hearts, be
ready always to make a defense to anyone asking you an explanation concerning
the hope that is among you, yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter
3:15-16).
When I
taught English as a Second Language at the Trenton Maximum Security Prison in
New Jersey, just after completing my Master of Divinity, I felt duty-bound to
share the good news of Jesus Christ to the Latin American inmates, when the
right time came. So, I made some plans. As their teacher, I already had a good
relationship with the men. Now I had to plan the perfect evangelistic program. First,
I thought I would show them the antithesis of the gospel—a film on the Ku Klux
Klan. That bombed! The KKK was using Bible words out of context to defend their
hatred of certain groups, including my students. Then, I brought a film on Rev.
Dr. Martin Luther King where he gives his famous sermon “I have a dream.” I
thought that he would provide a positive model of a concerned Christian. But,
at the end, one of the men yelled out that King’s dream was just that—a
dream—and did not happen. Prejudice and discrimination still occur, and they
all had felt it many times.
After
that, I decided to give up on my fancy presentations and preparations. One
night, as the students worked on their assignments, I found an inopportune
time, I lifted a sheet of paper, and asked abruptly: “Would any of you want a
Bible study or a worship service?” To my shock, a few yelled, “Both!” I was
astounded! I then told them: “If you are really interested, come up and sign
this paper and indicate which program you want.” Many men rushed forward, and
others followed. I then set up a Bible study (which I led together with Bill) and
I invited churches to conduct worship services. Three agreed to come: the local
Spanish Methodist, Pentecostal, and Roman Catholic churches. So, together we
filled the week with Christian events.
I had
been waiting for the perfect wave but did not realize that in God’s flow of
events a good relationship was sufficient, real, the “perfect” preparation, not
a “perfect” presentation.
I had
been prepared by having studied in seminary and now understood that this basic
Bible and ministry training was what I had needed.
My hope
had been to present the good news to them. Finally, I was able to invite them
to the means to do so: Bible study and worship. And, in the end, they would
have a hope not of a few seconds but of eternal duration.
Aida
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