“Hey, would you mind telling me some more about what you believe?” That question is likely to get us thinking, get our blood pressure to rise, get us wondering how we respond. There’s excitement in the question, but there is maybe some trepidation as well – “am I going to answer this in the right way? am I going to turn them off? what if they ask about….?” This is what it is like when we have a friend who is curious about Christianity.
Now, we should make it clear from the get go that “curious” people are not ready to sign up to be Christians. They are trying to work this out in their heads. This is a very cranial time, as they are looking for answers to things that have been coming up in their minds. It is also a very emotional time for the curious because exploring Christianity might feel like a bit of a minefield for them – are they going to step on something that is going to blow up their lives?
We should also note something about answers. Curious people tend to ask a lot of questions. Because of that, we can think that our job as witnesses is to come up with all of the right answers. This may not actually be the case. You don’t want to ignore questions, but you want to know what is motivating those questions. They don’t want to know “what the answers are,” they want to know if they can see themselves as Christians. You can think about it as trying on clothes in the changing room of the store – “can I really see myself wearing this? is it flattering? can I really pull this off?” Our answers should always be framed in a way that encourages them to reflect on those questions.
Notably, this is NOT a time to pretend that you’re a more sanctified Christian than you are. Don’t tell them about the 25 hours a week that you spend in Bible study. Don’t pretend that your faith is bullet proof and that you have no doubts that ever creep in. Instead, show them a vulnerable but trusting faith in the work of Jesus Christ. Show them how your faith helps you live your life in a way that is filled with hope, even optimism, despite the trouble around you.
After all, Jesus came to save you and save them, not because you have this right but because you have God who loves you. And that is the answer to so many of our questions.