More than Words
Bill Commons, Strategic Initiative and Research
“Failure is the mother of success” states an ancient Asian proverb. Failure in evangelism was a stern teacher when I was a new missionary. Four years of traditional American-style evangelism proved fruitless in the context of conservative Chinese culture. It was painful to report that on our first furlough from Hong Kong in the early 1970s, an entire term of earnest tract distribution, faithful door-to-door visitation, and fervent evangelistic preaching had produced not even one new believer in Christ.
“Why?” I had asked my Chinese assistant in the Bible College. “Because your methods are impersonal and verbal,” he replied. “The Chinese characters in your tracts have a Christian meaning unfathomable to the Buddhist mind. Everything about you is foreign. You are a stranger giving strange words, without the context of a caring relationship. They have no idea what you mean. They can’t see it.” Though not his exact words, that was the gist of his sympathetic reply. My furlough provided time for reflection. Should I throw in the towel? This unspoken question drove me to immerse my broken heart in the gospels. Soon I was face to-face with the compassionate Christ, whose serving ministry preceded His saving ministry (Matthew 20:28). His deeds of mercy and service to human needs were magnets drawing the multitudes to hear His message. Was that the answer? I had to find out.
Upon returning to the field, we launched an innovative type of compassion evangelism through a service center in the government housing project. Soon, over a thousand local people carried laminated membership cards to attend our classes and activities. With the help of young, dedicated Chinese staffers, we served among them sixty hours per week. Deep relationships were established. Teens and adults started reading the tracts and asking questions. Doors opened wide as we visited members’ families. Neighbors flocked to the evangelistic meetings. Buddhists came to saving faith in Christ and were discipled. Two churches were started in two terms, and they reproduced new churches repeatedly in the following years.
The old saying is true: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Nurturing redemptive relationships through serving “felt” needs brought deeper spiritual needs to the surface that were previously unfelt. Resistance to the gospel was melted by compassion in action.
In all this, we learned that evangelism is more than words. Preaching is central, but it is not enough. To reach those who are resistant, communicating about Christ must be couched in the context of compassion (I John 3:16–18). Calvary love flows from a broken spirit and heals wounded hearts (Psalm 51:17). We need to let our hearts break with the things that break the heart of God, and nothing breaks His heart more than the lostness and brokenness of people without Christ. Compassion in action is the cornerstone of effective evangelism. We pour out our lives in compassion so they see Christ’s love through us and be willing to listen when we preach.
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