Mark and the Goblet of Fire

Today I went to the Seattle Center to check it out. Not much was happening there. So I tried to find where I could catch the 372 Metro Bus. The map I had was not very detailed so I walked many extra blocks. Finally I went back to Seattle Center and asked directions. I got on the bus and began the first stage of my return home.

Soon a young man got on the bus and sat to my right in the seats that faced forward. I was seating in the seats that face across the bus. As he sat there I notices that he was reading a Harry Potter book, something about a goblet of fire. When I strike up a conversation, I like to start with something that is of interest to the other party.

so I said to him, "You know that magic doesn't happen like that." Pointing to the book. "It doesn't come in flames and whooseing sounds, like in the book."

I established that miracles still happen, but not like magic in Harry Potter.

Anyway, we talked about the Lord for the duration of the bus ride. He told me about how his deceased parents had been Christians. And that he had spent some time looking at various religions, but had not made up his mind.

At one point I felt that I was being baited into saying that Jesus is the only way. I really felt that if I had said this a wall would have been thrown up that would have been insurmountable at this time. What I said was that I only know one God. A little later was able to point out that the work that Jesus had done on the cross is unique in all the religions that I had studied. And that His work freed me from sin, and allowed me to go forward in my walk with the Lord. Much more was said in the twenty minutes of sharing. When I had to get of the bus Mark thanked me, and said that it had been a long time since he had talked about God.

Although Mark, not his real name, has not made up his mind on following the Lord, he is still hungry for spiritual things. There are two things that need to be remembered from this conversation. The first is be ready to listen to the other person. If we are just announcing, then we are only doing another commercial, and the DVR of the listeners mind will skip right through the message. Then no information will be shared. The second is that is important to focus on the essential points. whether or not the Gospel is the only way is not as important as establishing the points of the atoning death of Jesus on the cross. Long before understanding the uniqueness of the work on the cross, it is possible accept and believe in the salvation that Jesus did for us. So it was good to focus on the work that Jesus did. There definitely are times when it is necessary to focus on the uniqueness of the work of cross, and there on times when it is best to just focus on the work itself.