Witnessing in Oakland, CA

MAY 1973

Context:
I made a good friend (I don't remember his name) at the Coast Guard base who was a practicing Pentecostal Christian. Sometime before we became friends I had been reading in the bible that I should be slow to speak (James) and let my words be few (Proverbs), so literally following these books I said as little as possible. No kidding for a month I hardly said anything - try that sometime, it is eye opening. I did talk, but I tried to only when necessary or for edification of others.

The Story:
How I made a friend without saying much is a mystery, but one weekend he invited me to go to his home in Oakland, CA. We visited his AG church on Sunday, and on Saturday we went to a park to talk to people about Christ.

When I went places for the purpose of talking about Christ (witnessing), I usually liked to go it alone as I mentioned in another blog. Going by 2s seems like ganging up on victims, and to be honest, I didn't like the way others usually witnessed, especially if the other needed to be dominant. A big part of talking to people about Christ is listening without judging and defending. Witnessing works well when people (not necessarily their excuses or belief systems) feel respected and treated as equals. I found that Christians all too often failed in this, so I prefered going it alone.

When I came back to my friend after talking to others in the park, I found him in conversation with some guy who kept saying, "But there's something that just keeps me from going back to God." My friend kept saying one thing, then another, but nothing seemed to strike home for the guy.

I had been reading a book called "Love Is Now," which told me I should love myself - rather radical in the early 70s and I found it helpful, so when I saw my friend was getting nowhere I piped up, "You know, it might be that you need to forgive yourself." As soon as the words came out of my mouth I felt a very strong sense not to clarify what he mistakingly heard me say. "That's it!" he exclaimed. "There's these guys that hurt me really bad. I need to forgive them." My friend and I prayed for him as he rededicated his life to Christ.

Those were the few words I said the entire weekend I was with my friend in Oakland, but a week or two later I decided that although I learned how hard it is to tame the tongue; being silent was not the solution, and in fact, it just wasn't fun. So instead, I'd trust the grace of God to cleanse me from the multitude of stupid things that come out of my mouth. For better and for worse, I have not tried since then to keep my mouth quiet.

By the way, is there somebody or some people, or even a church that you have not forgiven? Is there bitterness in your heart? It will keep you from God and it will eat away at your life. Forgiveness is not always easy; it does not always happen overnight, but it is necessary. Learn to say, "I forgive." And if you can't say it, begin a process of working with that goal in mind, because some day when you are able to say, "I forgive," you will find freedom.