Reflection

Straus Lake, Brevard NC. December 2018.

As water reflects the face,
    so one’s life reflects the heart. (Proverbs 27:19)

There is a quote that is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi:

Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.

I first learned of those quote as a teenager, back in the days when I still professed (in like company) to be a Christian. I found it very comforting; as an introverted soul, the idea of preaching anything was kind of an anathema to me. Heck, the idea of mentioning Jesus's name outside of a church wasn't something I was willing to do. So I liked this quote. It was an excuse for me, and for anyone else who was shy about sharing their religious beliefs—i.e., those of us who worried too much about what other people would think.

Well, guess what. St. Francis never said that. And if you look into some of his biographical information, you'll see that he was quite a preacher—not at all the shy wallflower that this (mis)quote seems to encourage.

That being said, I think there are times when the spoken word is best—whether it's preaching to a congregation (or on a street corner) or quietly sharing Jesus with a friend. And there are times when the written word is more effective—and times when certain forms of the written word (essay, poetry, fiction) are best. And yes, there are times when your actions truly do speak louder than words, times when the actions are the best preaching you can do.

How do we know what is the best way to preach the Gospel?

One answer is not to worry—just do all of them! And I don't think that's bad advice.

But another answer, one that I think supplements rather than contradicts the one above, is to cultivate relationships.

Huh?

Yes. Cultivate relationships. Not just with other Christians, but with the people who show up in your life, whether in your neighborhood, at the grocery store, at the kid's Little League game. Because when you cultivate relationships, you begin to learn what people value, and what type of communication will be most effective. Some will respond to words, to long, deep, one-on-one conversations. Others will be more open to reading an article—or a Facebook post, or even a text—that you share with them. Still others will respond most to how you preach the Gospel through your any number of your actions—your hospitality, your kindness, even your body language or your facial expressions.

(An aside: I have an church acquaintance who who has a habit of rolling her eyes whenever someone says or does something that she deems silly or inappropriate. Those little eye-rolls give her an air of haughtiness and "judginess," and I believe they ultimately weaken her witness.)

If Christ is living in our hearts, then I think the Gospel cannot help but seep out in our spoken and written words AND in our actions. And the more we cultivate relationships, real relationships, the better we can learn how to communicate with others the reason for the hope that is within us.

May your life reflect your heart today—and every day!