God of the conversation …

On my Twitter feed today a person professing to be a Christian posted a picture of a rainbow flag on fire and suggested such flags be burned. This same person would have an uncontrolled tantrum if someone burned the American flag, but they believe it’s okay to suggest the rainbow flag used for “gay pride” be burned.

This is a person who has determined what they believe and now is broadcasting those beliefs loudly and without concern for how or what they communicate affects others.

Someone else — likely a church — chose to pay for putting up this billboard as shown in this photo. Whoever is responsible for the sign probably thought publicly displaying a Bible verse would be a good thing for their neighbors to see while driving by. But they cherry-picked a verse with a command that’s quite condemning. Obviously, the hosts of the sign have made up their minds what they believe, and now are broadcasting it publicly. There doesn’t seem to be any interest in conversation about the topic.

This is how many Christians have chosen to interact with the world. They have determined what they believe, and then launch those beliefs into the public without concern for how or where they land. This behavior has no interest or concern for conversation, and in that way such behavior is very different from that of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the God of conversation.

As we read through the Gospels and examine the life of Christ, we usually don’t see Jesus (who knew what He believed since He IS truth!) just broadcasting commands to people. Instead, we see Him engaging sinful people in conversation.

He talked to the woman at the well.

He spoke with the woman caught in adultery.

He had long conversations at parties with sinful people.

He engaged Nicodemus and the “rich young ruler.”

Jesus was so interested in conversing with sinful, lost, broken people that He was known to be the “friend of sinners” (Mt. 11:18-19).

Jesus welcomed conversation because He did not come into this world to condemn people, but rather to save them!

God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. – John 3:17

Jesus engaged sinful people in conversation because He LOVED them and wanted to save them; we often avoid conversation with sinful people because we DON’T love them and would rather condemn them. Having no interest in dialogue ruins any possibility of relationship or an authentic expression of love.

From the first book in the Bible, we see God in conversation with humanity as He talked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. He spoke with Moses from a burning bush. And through Isaiah, He says …

“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord … – Isaiah 1:18a (NASB)

Many Christians justify their “position projection” behavior because they think listening to people who don’t know Jesus Christ and engaging in conversation with them would be compromising their faith. Look again at the verse above. If God isn’t afraid to “reason” with sinners, why should we be?

If we have the same interest as God — to not condemn the world but to see it saved — then maybe we should should follow in the steps of Jesus, the God of conversation.

Scotty