Wow... it starts off with a bang. Brian McLaren wrote the foreword, and tells about an interview he had. He says,
"The radio-show host asked, 'Tell me this. If you're talkng to someone who doesn't believe in Jesus, will you or will you not tell him he's going to hell?'"
[Brian answered,]"'Why would you want me to say that? In my experience, if you begin by condemning pe ople, it doesn't normally make them want to believe what you believe. It makes them feel intimidated, insulted, and dehumanized.'"
[He goes on,] "The experience reminded me once again how it must feel for non-Christian persons to have an overconfident, argumentative, pushy, insensitive, and domineering Christian try to 'witness' to them."
McLaren also says that the opposite is just as bad if not worse (not wanting to share your faith with anyone). But I think the premise of this book is excellent. As McLaren says, "Meanwhile, there are thousands of people - no, millions - who wish they had a friend they could talk to about their questions, their doubts, their spiritual experiences, their hopes, and their prayers, answered and unanswered. But they can't risk sharing with anyone who will try to fix them, judge them, insult them, manipulate them, or otherwise treat them with something less than gentleness and respect."
Yeah, I'm looking forward to reading this book. I admit, I am not very good about sharing my faith; my love for Jesus. I want to say with Henderson on p. xv, "I am proud to follow Jesus - the very best leader ever. Without him I would simply have no incentive to live."
Peace. Revolution!
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