Why Evangelism Is and Is Not Like A Newly Engaged Couple

I earned my degree from a Christian college in Northwest Missouri. I’m not sure if all Christian colleges are like this, but we were often more focused on getting our marriage license than our degree. In fact, on one particular tour of the campus the tour guide joked that the slogan was a “ring by spring or your money back”.

At our school there was a bell which the students would flip once they had gotten engaged. I remember the bell being turned upside down more than I remember it being right side up. Almost every weekend a different young couple were glowing with excitement and telling everyone the good news of their engagement.

Good news is meant to be told. Unless you buy into that quote that Francis of Assisi likely never said:

“Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.”

Our campus would have looked and sounded much different if we extended this advice into other good news. Can you imagine a young lady who says “I don’t want to use words to tell people our good news”?

Perhaps one would notice after a bit a few differences in this young lady. You’d notice that she seemed to spend lots of time with one particular boy and that she never went on dates with other guys. You might even notice that she is wearing a bit fancier ring than normal—and on that sacred finger too. If you are really close to her you might notice her new subscriptions to wedding magazines. You might even notice that her diet has changed to tiny carrots and kale (this of course for the sake of fitting into that wedding dress).

You would likely deduce after a season that this young lady had been engaged. But you’d have to wonder how excited she really was about the thing if she was only dropping subtle hints. Good news is meant to be shared. And its meant to be shared explosively. Maybe explosively isn’t the best word—but I mean shared in such a way that it is obvious that such news cannot be contained.

God the Father raised Jesus, His Son, from the dead as a statement that his sacrifice was complete and full atonement had been made for our sins. News doesn’t get any better than this. Such a thing is meant to be proclaimed and in such a way that a young lady cannot fool around with dropping subtle hints to let people know she is engaged—she has to tell people.

There is, though, one way in which this analogy somewhat breaks down. Not many people are going to persecute a young lady for sharing her joy in being engaged. It’s not terribly offensive. The gospel is offensive. Good news that is offensive. And so that is why it is a bit more than just sharing what God has done—and of what God has done in your life.

If we really want to use the newly engaged lady as a picture of evangelism we should add a bit more to it. Rather than having her going around telling friends and strangers we should tell the story as if she has to tell another boy. Perhaps, we could say it was her childhood friend who had hopes of some day putting that ring on her finger. He doesn’t like this new man in her life. Now, we are a bit closer to what its like sharing the gospel.

The good news we share with people is the type of good news that demands a response and a change on the part of the hearer. We aren’t looking for the hearer to say, “I’m so happy for you.” What we are asking is that they reshape their lives around this good news we are proclaiming. Just as the childhood friend will have to reorient his life around this news of engagement.

Furthermore, we are sharing with people who do not necessarily like our good news or believe that our good news is good. To the jilted lover this engagement isn’t going to seem like good news. The gospel, though, is different in that unlike an engagement there is room enough for everyone. It’s an invitation not only to celebrate what has happened to me but to also enter into the wedding feast yourself.

So, yes, the gospel must be proclaimed. And it ought to stir up exponentially more joy in us than a newly engaged couple. But let’s not pretend that sharing this good news is quite the same thing.