Curled up on the couch, with Violet nestled in my arms, I read aloud in as low a decimal as possibly; simultaneously accomplishing class assignments while lulling this little three-year-old to sleep. The model babystitter…right. It was nearly 9 PM and this slight tyke should have been asleep an hour ago.
“…we need to recognize that most of those around us no longer have any true grasp of what the Bible teaches; nor do they understand the language Christians are accustomed to using.”
Violet’s eyelids grew heavy, her lashes quivering in exhaustion. I continued, “The last wall and perhaps the most difficult for us to acknowledge and overcome is the wall created by our sense of alienation from those around us…many of us who are Christians are afraid of the culture around us…”
Body beginning to slack in sleepy resignation, Violet snuggled into her pillow…until I began reading an excerpt from Luke 18, “To some who were confident in their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray…”
Immediately Violet’s eyes opened expectantly and she proudly patted The Heart of Evangelism. “Jesus!” she exclaimed. “Jesus died for my sins! He, he, he…is God and, and, and…he loves me!”
Though miffed at her still resisting sleep (a three-year-old will is strong!), this moment of affirming her “proclamation” of faith was not lost on me. In a span of about five minutes we covered stories and concepts from the nativity to the Trinity…all in the vocabulary of little Vi. Yes, she was regurgitating much of what her parents have responsibly instilled in her…yes she is young…and yes, she was attempting to prolong sleep as long as possible. Yet, "out of the mouths of babes..."
Even at this young age, she possesses a boldness and excitement that I confess I often do not have…she proclaimed the gospel with assurance, zeal, and winsomeness that Barrs notes many seminary students are lacking. Without stretching this moment too much in analogy, perhaps this is what Christ had in mind when he said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)
Though our little conversation's poignant meaning was completely lost on Vi, I was faced with the realization that I am completely and horribly overwhelmed. There I sat reading through this brilliant book, dejected by disappointing portrayals of the gospel. Often in “evangelism” we see two extremes…Christians with zeal who are biblically illiterate, or those with deep theological and biblical background, yet lack the heart and zeal Barrs commends the Christian to possess. Is it possible to possess both a Christ-like heart and extensive biblical knowledge? Well, yes, of course it is…yet it is not without considerable effort, intentional study, and clinging to the heart and grace of God. But, whether you’re eighty…twenty-four…or three-years-old, it’s not too late to instill a proper heart of evangelism...rather, it's usually well-needed.
So, there I sat frustrated, with myself and others, and little Vi, upon hearing the mention of Jesus, blurts out exactly what I needed to hear, "he loves."
Sometimes it's good to go back to square one.
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"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of the Lord stands forever."
- I Peter 1:24-25
This is Violet. She likes "tattoos."
