PLANE CRASH EVANGELISM

Today I encountered a story told by Franklin Graham of a remarkable missionary and the timeliness of his preaching through the terror of a plane crash.  Graham writes:

“Traveling in Ethiopia brought to mind a man I met there and got to know in the 1980s. Andy Meakins was a gentle giant of the faith, an Englishman who loved Jesus Christ and served Him in Africa for many years. In 1996 an Ethiopian Airlines flight was hijacked and crashed into the ocean just off the Comoros Islands after running out of fuel—you may have heard the story. The dramatic moment of impact was caught on home video and broadcast around the world. Only later did we learn of something even more dramatic happening in the cabin as the plane headed for disaster.

Andy Meakins and his wife were on that plane, seated together. The hijackers demanded to be flown to Australia even though there wasn't nearly enough fuel for that distance. As they neared the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean, one engine flamed out, and the pilot told passengers that the remaining engine would soon run out of fuel as well. Immediately, Andy's wife heard the snap of a seat belt being unbuckled and turned to see her husband stand up.

"Many of us might die in this crash," he called out, "so there's something you need to know." Andy then began explaining the gospel simply and urgently, moving to each part of the cabin so that everyone would hear. He invited people to place their trust in Jesus Christ in repentance and faith. A flight attendant heard Andy's words, bowed her head, and asked Jesus to forgive her sins and come into her heart. She watched many more respond and, along with another survivor, later told the story. Of the 175 people on board, 125 died, including Andy, who was still on his feet preaching the gospel as the plane hit the water.”

There is no time, nor place where reaching out to others with the plain truth of the Gospel is inappropriate and not needed.  Pray that God will give you a passion for sharing the Good News at any time and anywhere and a sense of urgency as well.  That’s living right and righteous living!

"I want to live right that God may use me,

at any time or anywhere . . ."

THE MISSIONAL ST. PATRICK: RESIDENT ALIEN IN A CULTURE OF UNBELIEF

It did not take long in the first few centuries for Christianity to get really screwed-up.  By the third century, Christian faith was so intertwined with Roman culture that it was normative for new Christians from other cultures to be pressured into first being culturally Roman before being Christian.  Once again, the past rises up to meet us.  We look into its mirror, déjà vu, and see ourselves.  In similar ways we are back to the same old ways expecting new believers to first embrace our ways of doing church and living the Christian life as we do.  A massive departure is found in the missional life of fifth century Saint Patrick.

Patrick did not work to assimilate the Celts into Roman Christian culture.  Instead, he worked within Irish, pagan culture and established small monastic communities of hospitality and learning.  He engaged the Celtic communities on their terms and turf and welcomed them into the small

monastic communities with warmth and friendship. In effect, he became an accepted member of their communities and they were included as members of his.  The sensitivity and inclusiveness of Patrick’s approach was so successful that the monastic communities of faith were replicated beyond Ireland permeating Europe and reviving Christianity for hundreds of years.  The full story is told by Thomas Cahill in his book, How the Irish Saved Civilization.

Chad Inman in his essay “The Missional St. Patrick” writes “Celtic missionaries understood that believing the Christian message often comes after belonging to a Christian community. Yet our models of evangelism generally include a presentation of the gospel, followed by a decision, followed by admittance into Christian community as the final step. In this way, we’ve become more sequential than faithful, and it’s not working for us. Some in our congregations will need to feel the sense of belonging to a church family before they believe in the gospel narrative. This especially holds true for the experience-driven generations of today.”

John Wesley achieved something similar to St. Patrick with his small group class meetings.  These nurturing mini-communities of accountability included believers and non-believers.  They were inclusive, caring support systems for all members and served as the front porch of faith for non-believers and believers into the larger communities of Methodist Societies.  The class meetings and societies were communities within the larger British community that transformed the culture and eventually spread to Ireland, Scotland, Australia, the US and Canada, and in time around the world.

William H. Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas in their book Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony say, “The church exists today as resident aliens, an adventurous colony in a society of unbelief.”  St. Patrick, John Wesley, Willimon and Hauerwas are on to something and we do well to pay attention.