Ear-ring Evangelism

Isn’t it frustrating! On Saturday I lost a zip ear-ring, and on Sunday I lost a pretty diamante one. The former had a ‘bullet’ on the back, the latter was a hook type. So it is not the style of the jewellery that is at fault, I obviously have a dodgy right ear. [Unlike Davy Crockett, who has left ear, right ear and wild front ear!]

 

I remembered a piece I wrote a while ago about ear-rings…

About twenty three years ago, another pastor’s wife told me that she had been criticised by a church member, because ‘spiritual women do not have pierced ears’. I was so cross that someone could make such a judgement that I went straight to Bromley ‘Army and Navy’ and had my ears seen to. I am not good with pain, so insisted Bob came and held my hand through the process!

Since then, I have amassed a weird and wonderful collection of ear-rings. When teaching very small children, I wear a pair that reflects the ‘Letter of the Week’ [I have cats, zigzags, ice-creams…] Whilst sorting them out – yes, I do keep them alphabetically in a box with separate sections – I realised that ear-rings actually can make a spiritual point.

bullet

hook

butterfly

The fixing on the back usually comes in one of three types, known in the trade as ‘bullet’, ‘hook’ or ‘butterfly’ – and it struck me that evangelism can be like that. Some people can just go up to complete strangers and hit them hard with the Gospel. Zap! Just like a bullet [e.g. Evangelism Explosion, door-to-door Evangelism, street preachers].

Others invite people along to something special [a meal, a special event] and having been drawn in, people get ‘hooked’ [Alpha, seeker services, Billy Graham rallies etc].

But some Christians live such beautiful lives, that others are attracted to them and want to find out what it is that makes them special – rather like the butterfly attracts attention, and then these Christians have the opportunity to share Jesus.

I am not saying any of these three methods is more valid than the other – I just want to build the Kingdom of God in my generation. Once I have ‘retired’ maybe I should write a book on Ear-ring Evangelism - but don’t forget, you read it first on the blog!