I wrote about this issue in They Like Jesus But Not The Church. If someone is a missionary in a foreign culture, they study the culture and the values of people. We need to do the same thing here today. We don’t realize how Christians have come across to people over the past 20 years or so. There are a lot of negative stereotypes that people outside the church have of us, and we need to pay attention. I’d recommend the book UnChristian, which gives statistics and other information about the attitudes of non-Christians towards the church. If we know what these perceptions are, then we can address them.
This doesn’t mean we have to compromise our theology. For example, some people feel it’s arrogant for Christians to think that they are right and all other religions are wrong. In talking with these people, I try to show that we aren’t “arrogant,” but that we are truth-seekers looking to find who the true God is and the way of salvation. I then explain why I believe that Jesus is the only way, but I do so with care and sensitivity, listening to the other person’s heart, thoughts, and beliefs. I still maintain what I believe, but I hope that by the end of the discussion, they understand that I have some valid reasons for believing what I do, and that it isn’t just a matter of arrogance.
We may prefer to jump in and share what we believe instead of listening to someone else’s viewpoint. However, 1 Peter 3:15 says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” What we often miss in this passage is that it says “to everyone who asks.” People will usually ask a question like this only when trust has been built, when we have listened and cared for them. Â So we must do what a cross-cultural missionary does: learn the most effective ways to break down barriers so that trust will be built and people might listen.
