eNews

Learn to say “I don’t know”

One of the biggest fears people have about sharing the good news of Jesus is that they’ll get stumped with a really tough question, or they won’t know enough about the Bible. No doubt: these are real issues.

It’s good to remember, though, that it is impossible to be prepared for every situation that arises. It’s also helpful to recognise our own limitations: there are questions we just will not be able to answer.

The worst thing we could do in situations like that is to try and answer a question when we really don’t know anything about it. That sort of ignorance is always obvious – unfortunately first to the listener, and sometimes never to the speaker. We can do without that. So can the Kingdom.

The best thing to do when difficult questions arise is to acknowledge the difficulty and tension expressed in the question. Sometimes these matters involve things humanity has grappled with right through history. It’s unlikely that anyone will come up with satisfying answers to the coexistence of good and evil over a cup of coffee (no matter how good the coffee is...). So acknowledge it – but then what?

One other thing to consider is to offer to look into the matter and get back to the person you’re speaking to. There are books and resources that have helpful responses (some resources are listed below), but remember, you still may not find an answer that satisfies.

When the better avenues have been exhausted, sometimes it's best to simply say, “I don’t really know. I respect the tension, and I struggle with it too, but like you, I’ve never found an answer that satisfies my curiosity…” But don’t leave it there, consider something like the following: “… but as a follower of Jesus, I know the reality of what He has done does not depend on my ability to know all the answers. I’d like to know, but if I never work it out, I’ll survive. I can live with a few loose ends. The best I can do is continue to try and understand it as best I can from God’s perspective.”

To my mind, there’s more authenticity to Christian who acknowledge the harder tensions in life, than with those who seem to have all their theological ducks lined up. Maybe there’s a greater blessing in saying “I don’t know” than “I have it all sorted.” One thing’s for sure, the person you’re speaking to will be more inclined to accept the former than the latter.

Some resources:

·         Lee Strobel: The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith excellent treatments of questions that revolve around the evidence for Jesus and the truth of His claims

·         Nicky Gumble: Searching Questions. Mark Brookes comments “it's a short and easy read that addresses some of the most commonly asked questions of (and by) Christians”

·         Brian McLaren:  More Ready than you realize. Peter from Wollongong says this is a great resource to take people from the 70’s into the current mindset.

·         John Dickson: Promoting the Gospel  “…A biblical, practical, warm and encouraging book that does exactly what it sets out to do: equips us as the Christian community to promote the Gospel. Should become a standard text on the subject." - Michael Frost

·         John Chapman: Know and Tell the Gospel …becoming a bit of an Australian classic. Chapman’s style clarifies the issues and opens our eyes to warm, conversational witness.

Feedback: dave@redlandscrc.org.au

Next time: There’s only one happy ending that matters…