Observation: Peter and John have just performed their first healing in Jesus' name. In the Jerusalem Temple, he invites a man lame from birth to stand up and walk. When this healing draws a crowd of astonished people, Peter "goes there." He uses the opportunity to speak about the fact that he didn't do this--the name of Jesus did. And because his pain is still raw, Peter also makes mention of the fact that less than two months ago, the same crowds here in Jerusalem that are so amazed by this healing, were the ones who handed him over to be crucified. Peter tells the good, bad and ugly of Jesus' story, but he makes it clear that this healing today is the next chapter of it.
Application: So, a lot of mainline Christians are terrible at evangelism. We're terrible at it because we're terrified of it. We think it means saying we have all the answers and no one else has any. We think it involves yelling at people that they're doing life wrong, they're sinners and they're going to hell. Especially when we do something good or kind to others, even if we understand that to be part of our faith, we rarely say that out loud, because we think that means it has strings attached. "I helped you dig your car out of the snow, but I did it in Jesus' name, so now you are required to come to my church." Folks. That is not how evangelism works. None of that.
We can and absolutely should do good things, healing things, for our neighbors. We should love them, asking nothing in return. We should be out there with random acts of kindness, or paying it forward, or whatever catch phrase you want to use for being a decent human being. And we should not be shy about connecting that to our faith. Believe it or not, most people will not sick a team of lawyers on you if, when you offer them a little gas money, you say, "God has blessed me and I just want to be a blessing to you." Or if they compliment you on a piece of art you did, you say, "Thanks, I feel like God kind of inspired me there." Or if you step in with a kind word for a store clerk who's having a tough day, and they say "thanks," and you say, "Sure thing. I follow Jesus. That's what we do." I know this is hard. I know faith is personal. I know it feels private. I know people have a lot of pictures in their head from the media of Christians as wide eyed judgmental bigots, and you don't want to be seen as one of "those people." But also...if the idea of "Christian" folks have in their head goes unchallenged, without you dropping Jesus' name now and again when you actually manage to be kind and love somebody, then nothing will change.
So you're not Billy Graham. Neither am I. How about like Peter, let's just be decent human beings who sometimes talk about Jesus, shall we?
Prayer: God, help us to find chances to heal and love others in your name...and help us bring you into the conversation. Amen.
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