Evangelism Near An Escalator

I was sitting right near the escalator.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do this now.
A makeover…a skin consultation.
Why would the Clinique counter choose to put their customers here?

This was the same escalator that used to have a fountain around its base.
This was the fountain where my children threw pennies.
This was now the place where I sat vulnerable, by my own choice.
This was the time I wanted to say, No thank you, and walk away.

There was that initial shock.
Being the sole entertainment for those that went up and down the escalator.
After a while, I was not that thrilling to watch and they faded in the distance.
All except one.

One woman I used to know from my old church.
The church I attended before becoming a believer in Jesus.
The church where I thought I was a Christian, but realized I had no idea what that meant.
There she was.

I was done my consultation by this time, walking away with lipstick and moisturizer.
I hoped that she was nearby so we could talk a bit.
I didn’t see her anywhere.
Suddenly, I heard, Well hello!

Hello, I said giving her a hug.

I haven’t seen you in church, where have you been?
There was an edge to her concern, as if I was on trial for something.
I left the church and I am going to another one.

I kept my answer vague so that if she was interested, she would ask me more questions.
What church are you going to now?
I told her and she quickly replied, That’s a Bible church. Why are you going there?

Her question was telling, since all churches should be Bible churches.
Apparently, in her mind, the one I left, the one she still attends, was not a Bible church.
I am going there because I need to be surrounded by the Word of God.
I need my children to be taught about salvation through Jesus alone.

Well…she asked!

What came next surprised me.
There is a verse about faith and works; I don’t know where it is…
Can you tell me what it means?

So THIS is why I sat near the escalator.
God had an appointment for me.
I prayed a quick shooting arrow prayer for wisdom and discernment.
I began to explain.

You are talking about the book of James.
You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. (James 2:24)
But the Bible also says: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no man can boast. (Ephesians 2:8,9)

Exactly. That doesn’t make sense.

When I came to a saving knowledge of Jesus, I realized that nothing I could ever do was enough to save me. Everything I did fell short. Everything I did had an underlining motive that was not always to glorify God. When I realized that Jesus died on the cross for me, that HIS sacrifice was complete, that there was NOTHING I could add to the equation, I was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with my own sin, my own falling short, my own missing the mark. I realized it didn’t depend on me. It depended on HIM.

But what about that verse…the faith and works thing?

Through God’s Word, I came to know that nothing I did could EARN my salvation.
Jesus has done it all on the cross and through His resurrection.
I don’t “DO WORKS” so that I am saved.
I am saved, through faith, so I can do the work He has called me to do.
The faith comes first; the works are a natural overflow, EVIDENCE, of that saving faith.

She heard.
She really did.
Everything she ever knew had just unraveled before her eyes.
I could see it in her expression.

You can’t have faith alone without showing your faith through your actions.
But you can have works and action without saving faith.
Faith in action is a powerful thing; it draws people to Christ.

I just wondered why you left.
I always wondered about that verse...

I could visually see the ellipsis after her last statement.
She was pondering.
There was no period to the end of her sentence…yet.
She always wondered…

Wonderment is a good thing.
In fact, Bonhoeffer said, Bewilderment is TRUE comprehension.
I prayed for the Holy Spirit to take my answer to her question and grow that seed.

Planting seeds near an escalator.
Answering questions and leaving a pause to ponder.
Evangelism is not neatly wrapped up like a half hour sitcom.
The open-ended-ness is vital as the Holy Spirit does His work.

All we need to be is faithful.
We may never know the results.
We don’t have to; the results are in God’s hands.

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:15, 16)

An answer to a question in a most unlikely place.
Only God could orchestrate such a meeting.