As I remember it, the two-hour bus ride from Memphis to Little Rock took a little longer than that. We had two bus drivers along the way. The first was a middle-aged Baptist. He presented his beliefs kindly, but vigorously; I was obviously not the first church of Christ preacher that he had debated. The second driver said that he had heard my conversation with the first and had the look of a reluctant tag-team wrestler who had just been tagged. The reason why became quickly apparent. As if buckling himself into a confessional box, he said, “My grandmother took me to a church of Christ Sunday School as a kid, but my parents never went, and I don’t go anywhere now.” I told him that the Lord had sent me for an hour such as this!
The old preachers used to say, “When the Lord said, “Go into all the world, ‘Go’ meant ‘as you go.”
I think they were trying to allay the fears of the disinclined missionaries before them. Christians worried that Jesus was saying, “You must sell up and go overseas.” Of course, that is exactly what Jesus was telling his apostles to do, otherwise, the gospel would never have left Jerusalem.
The good news is that a growing faith will bring opportunities to evangelize to you. Most encounters will be pleasant and will probably end ‘agreeing to disagree.’ We must praise the Lord that seed has been sown and know that Jesus’ name has been acknowledged and glorified.
It is the heavy, hostile debate that shakes us. Those where Jesus’ name is blasphemed and our faith is mocked to the core. These will leave you forever scarred and scared if you are not prepared.
Fortunately, Jesus prepares us today in the same way that he prepared his apostles. We, in like manner, follow him, watch him, and go and do likewise.
And yes, “Go” means, “as you go.”
John Staiger
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