Jesus, Google, and the art of wooing...

I have had a great time meeting people and answering questions at our tent this week, so much so that my voice is just "gone". Here's a question I have fielded several times so I thought I'd answer it here.

Q. Why give away coffee, balloons, etc...why not just give out tracts or literature, why not "preach the gospel"...wouldn't that be a better use of your time and resources?

A. Here's why we do what we do:

• Jesus didn't just preach, he also fed people, healed people, befriended people...and was hated by the religious folks for it. When he sent out his first followers he also told them to do the same.


• It's part of God's larger plan for his followers to actually serve others! God Loves the world (John 3:16) , Not just "church goers", "believers" or "Christians". God's love for everyone is demonstrated by his promise to judge his followers on how they served others!


• It still works today! If you've searched the Internet you've used the technology that Google "gives away". This blog is published (for free) on Blogger, a Google company. Google actually makes its billions by selling advertising...can you imagine if they decided to by-pass all of this "give away" stuff and just post advertisements on our Google site. Can you imagine if they decided that they "helped people enough" by telling people where to get cheap Viagra and vacation deals and so there was no need to continue"giving away" Internet searches? Nuff said.


• The scriptures describe followers of Christ as a "Bride". This metaphor works on many levels. Can you imagine trying to convince a stranger in a public place to become "engaged" to be your bride? Can you imagine handing out pamphlets to strangers asking them to become "engaged" to you? If that sounds pushy or creepy to you, you now understand how most people view tracts and street "witnessing". Can it work? Maybe, people can also fall in "love at first sight" and get married in Vegas. More commonly though, relationships start with a gesture, a drink purchased, a flower given, a dinner invitation, followed by lots of time spent together . It's called wooing...it's a funny word but I think it is the way a loving God invites people to be part of his plan for eternity. It's certainly the way actionchurch will connect with potential followers of Christ.

So there it is...why we do what we do. Is it the "right" way? The "only" way? Nope, It's just an "old fashioned","low tech", way to demonstrate God's love to others.