Last week I went down to Melbourne to help my daughter. With a newborn and a lively two-year-old, it was one of those times when an extra pair of hands made a real difference.
That meant I missed my own birthday party in Sydney (although I did show up by Zoom for a few minutes). A group of international students wanted to celebrate two birthdays, and that was the only day they could do it—so they went ahead anyway!
I knew that most of the people coming be non-Christians, so the day before the event I asked Chris, “What Bible story are you going to share?”
She thought for a moment and said, “Well, today I was reading the story about the Sons of Thunder—the time James and John wanted Jesus to call down fire on the Samaritans because they had been rude to Him. But Jesus said no—that’s not how we treat people.”
That turned out to be the perfect passage for the evening.
You see, our house has always been a place where people can talk openly—people from all sorts of religious and ethnic backgrounds, including Palestinians, Hindus, Muslims, and Buddhists. Chris is naturally curious, so during the meal she asked one of the students what he thought about the assassination of the American conservative leader, Charlie Kirk.
The student had actually seen Charlie’s widow on TV speaking about forgiveness. That sparked a whole conversation about how to respond when people wrong us.
It also opened the door for Chris to share the Bible story. She explained how easy it is to retaliate when we’re mistreated—and how Jesus chose another path: love instead of revenge.
By telling this story, Chris helped the students see that the Bible isn’t just ancient words, but wisdom for real life. That’s the kind of discovery that opens the door for people to want to know more about Jesus.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that your Word shows us how you want us to live. Give me your power to show love and grace to those who disagree with me. Help me create spaces where we can talk honestly, so that people may come to faith in you. Amen.
Living it out (Share)
This week, pick a Bible passage you’ve read and ask yourself: How does this apply to the people in my community?
Then pray for an opportunity to share that story in the natural flow of conversation.
I often start off by saying, "I read something interesting this week".
Have a great week talking about Jesus,
P.S. Who do you think would be encouraged by this email? Forward it to them and let them know they can walk alongside experienced cross-cultural evangelists by visiting: https://hereslife.com/encouragement