Merging Universes
Did you attend a super spreader event over the holidays? If you haven’t heard that term, a super spreader is any social event where people come into close contact with each other and spread the covid virus. Rather than heap shame on virus-spreading events, let’s consider what Christians can learn from them.
Just like a virus, beliefs are caught and spread within the context of social groups. You believe what you believe because you were exposed to a group who carries those same beliefs, whether it’s a family or peer group. Community often dictates belief, and belief almost always determines your community. Most likely, your closest friends view the world the same way that you do. That isn’t coincidence, it’s community.
As Sam Chan writes in Evangelism in a Skeptical World, we are far more likely to believe something is true if others around us also believe it to be true. This isn’t a bad thing, it’s just a human thing.
Now what if Christians applied this truth to evangelism? The result could be life-changing. If we want to be more effective in reaching our unsaved friends, we must begin merging our universes. We must create spaces where our Christian friends can come into close proximity with our non-Christian friends, crossing communal boundaries with gospel intentions. Do you want to reach your lost friend? It might be more effective to invite them to a barbecue than to give them a Christian book.
If we want to be more effective in reaching our unsaved friends, we must begin merging our universes. We must create spaces where our Christian friends can come into close proximity with our non-Christian friends, crossing communal boundaries with gospel intentions.
Sadly, most Christians live in a kind of self-quarantine mode. When we host a party or go out to eat, we invite our like-minded friends because it’s more comfortable that way. Quarantines might prevent the spread of deadly viruses, but the quarantine mindset stifles evangelism. When Jesus hosted dinners, he brought along his disciples while inviting “sinners and tax collectors'' (Matt 9:10-17). Why? Because Jesus wanted to merge his universe with theirs to help them see and consider his glorious gospel message. Jesus knew that holy huddles and Christian quarantines are in direct opposition to the missional mindset.
The idea of merging universes might sound intimidating, but it’s actually simple. For instance, the stay-at-home mom invites her unsaved neighbors for coffee at the same time she invites her friends from church. Two different worlds are merged where beliefs are exchanged in the context of a safe community. The Christian man invites his non-Christian friends for a golf outing with his Christian friends. Two worlds merge on the golf course, where meaningful relationships can be cultivated in the context of safe community.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus stepped out of time and space and entered our universe. He merged his world with ours and ultimately merged his Holy Spirit with us. Each day, we are called to reenact God’s act of grace to seek and to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10).
On Saturday January 16th, Doxa Church is hosting a serve day in Green Cove Springs where we will serve the community by cleaning up flower beds on Walnut Street. This is a great opportunity to invite your unbelieving friends to spend meaningful time within your Christian community.
Jon Wood
The Director of Discipleship