Christian, do you even know who you are talking to? Do you even care?
Yesterday my partner and I spent part of the day hiking around Lamma Island. We finished by running the gauntlet of shops aimed at the tourists and enjoyed a piece of Tofu Cheesecake before heading for the ferry pier. As we queued on the pier I noticed 2 banners prominently displayed at eye level for all the departing passengers to read. Both were from local Lamma Island churches. One of them gave the times and dates of church services and assured people that they were a loving community. The other, from a more evangelical church displayed a partial Bible verse:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!”
Having spent most of my life in the evangelical world, I’m surprised that I even noticed, but my phone battery was dead, so I wasn’t distracted and it made me think “who are they talking to?”. The first banner was aimed at locals, saying “come give us a try, we’re really not that scary”; the 2nd banner, imploring people to believe, seemed aimed at the throngs of tourists leaving the island, a parting salvo of advice — believe and be saved.
To normal average people does “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved” even mean anything? Believe on? I know what it means to “believe in” something, I believe in science, in God, in the tooth fairy or Santa Claus. I believe you are telling me the truth or lying to me, but what is “believe ON”? Who talks that way? In a place where English is already the 2nd language it doesn’t compute.
“believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” — you want me to believe on some guy who lived 2000 years ago. I “believe” that most of the people riding that ferry don’t have a clue as to who Jesus was. How much do you know about Mohammed or Buddha or the founder of Hinduism? We passed a temple to the goddess Tin Hau. I’ve lived in Hong Kong for over 30 years, but I don’t know shit about the goddess Tin Hau. I haven’t bothered to learn. Yet Christians expect strangers to understand “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved”?? If this is how we communicate it’s a wonder anyone becomes a Christian.
“and you will be saved” — Saved from what? Is someone after me? Is the ferry going to sink? Will believing save me from covid-19? Saved from the wrath of God? What? Is God pissed at me? What did I do to him/her?
I supposed the banner makers would be pleased if people actually thought about these questions, but I doubt that anyone, except me, even gave the banner a thought. It was graffiti, a poorly done piece of art, placed on a busy walkway. If I’d had 5% battery left, I wouldn’t have noticed it.
Christians need to do a better job of demonstrating that they care for and about people. That starts with listening, conversations, talking with people NOT at them. Hanging banners with obscure mysterious English sentences is ineffective and maybe even counter-productive. Instead maybe they should consider sponsoring and installing a quick charging station for cell phones — courtesy of the loving people at first Baptist or whoever.
