Sometimes the best next step in sharing Jesus is to stop talking.

Chris had reached the point in a conversation with a Norwegian student where she could easily have kept going. They were already talking about God. Chris had shared her story. The student was listening.

But perhaps the student needed time to think.

Chris met Hannah*, a Norwegian international student, at one of our meals for students at Western Sydney University. Hannah helped with some of the food preparation, and they ended up sitting together over dinner.

As they talked, Chris discovered that Hannah* was studying psychology. Chris is a chaplain at a primary school, so conversations about mental health and caring for children gave them an immediate point of connection.

Knowing Hannah enjoyed board games, Chris invited her to a games night.

Afterwards Chris asked, “Would you like to have coffee sometime?”

Coffee eventually became an Indian meal in Harris Park.

As they ate, they talked about their families and backgrounds. Hannah mentioned her family’s connection with the Lutheran church in Norway and spoke warmly about her grandmother, who seemed to have had a genuine faith.

Hannah also explained that she had once considered herself an atheist, but during the last few years she had become more open to the possibility of God.

She was studying astronomy, which gave Chris another natural opening to talk about the wonder of the universe and the God who created it.

Then Chris simply asked, “Can I tell you my story?”

Hannah said yes, and Chris shared how Jesus had become real to her.

Chris had brought a booklet explaining the Gospel in Norwegian. When she handed it to Hannah, she immediately recognised the language.

“I’d like you to read this,” Chris said, “and then perhaps we can talk about it sometime.”

Hannah was quite open about where she was spiritually. At this point she tends to see the different religions as different ways of describing much the same thing. But she was willing to take the booklet, read it and continue the conversation.

And that seemed like the right place to stop.

They were sitting in a busy restaurant. Other people needed the table. More importantly, Hannah had already been given quite a lot to think about. Trying to squeeze another spiritual conversation into the next ten minutes probably would not have helped.

Sometimes we can become so concerned about getting to the Gospel that we forget people need time to process what they have heard.

Hannah now has Chris’s story to think about. She has a Gospel booklet in her own language. She also happens to share a flat with a Christian, and the two of them already talk about philosophy and faith.

There can be another conversation.

Sharing Jesus does not always mean saying everything today. Sometimes faithfulness means recognising that enough has been said—and giving someone space to think.