Have you ever shared your faith in Jesus with someone who is not a Christian? Why did you share? Who began the conversation? What did you say? How did it end? How did you feel? Did your feelings change at all as you progressed in your story? These are questions worth spending time with.
In his writing, John Paul II describes a special moment in every believer's life in which he or she is "overwhelmed and brought to the decision to entrust himself to Jesus Christ by faith."*
That special first moment of faith only really occurs when one person introduces another person to Jesus, speaking from the heart about what they believe. (This proclaiming of belief in Jesus is understood as a specific act of evangelization with a name from the Greek, kerygma, and is intended to encourage conversion.) I know. This kind of thing isn't really in vogue these days; but then, as we'll soon see in chapter four, it never was!
In this context, I think it is worth giving some thought to the events of the third chapter of Acts. There are two events in this chapter which I find especially instructive for my own life. First, Peter, accompanied by John, heals a crippled man by invoking Jesus' name. We're told that the people in the temple who knew the crippled man and then saw him walking were amazed and became witnesses to the event. Second, Peter speaks to the gathered crowd, introducing them to Jesus.
What a model of faith sharing: A remarkable event drew onlookers to Peter and he used the opportunity to speak to them about Jesus. Simple, amazing for sure, but simple too. Faith in the ability of God to change people, confidence in the healing power of Jesus' name, and openness to the guidance of the Holy Spirit seem to be important precursors to sharing our faith with others. Being completely comfortable is not. Having prepared speeches is not either.
So, this chapter teaches me a little about welcoming opportunities to speak about Jesus. It nudges me to let others know that God loves each of us personally. And it reminds me to share God's love letter because of the hope and joy that comes from this faith we are blessed with!
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