Exploring Street Theology

Teletubbies

Do you remember the children’s TV series, Teletubbies of the 1990s? It follows the four characters of Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po. These unusual creatures have antennas on their heads and a television screen on the abdomen. The plot of each episode is based upon the daily tasks and rituals of day to day living, Although the verbal communication between the four is almost unintelligible the friends seem to be able to receive and transmit communication to the outside world.

I sometimes wonder in our world, whether we as the church are able to communicate or is our forth-telling just heard as so much gibberish? Are we able to readily receive the truth and share it without passing it through the filter of our own concepts often corrupted by our selfishness or even bending of the truth to our will?

The second letter to Peter expresses this by saying ‘Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation.’ 2 Peter 1:20 and St Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:14 stresses that “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”             

It was Blaize Pascal the 17th century French mathematician and philosopher who said, “Truth is so obscure in these times, and falsehood so established, that, unless we love the truth, we cannot know it.” Was he ahead of his time and does he speak to our false-news-world of today?

A near-fatal carriage accident in November 1654 — less than eight years before his death — persuaded Pascal to turn his intellect finally toward religion. The story goes that on a dark and stormy night, while riding in a carriage across a bridge in a Paris suburb, a fright caused the horses to bolt, sending them over the edge. The carriage bearing Pascal survived and so he took the incident as a sign and devoted himself to theology.

The point made in the Corinthian verse above is crucial in our understanding of spirituality, and how to interact with the world.  The problem is not intellectual or moral; for reason and evidence point towards God (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:18–23). The key difference is spiritual: those who are  awakened by the Holy Spirit, thanks to faith in Christ, find the ability to spiritually perceive that which lies dormant within them.

You see even our transmission of the Gospel is often complicated by our filters, and we give up because we see the whole thing as too difficult.  Here are five practical approaches to being a better representative of the gospel.

1. Represent Jesus in the Best Possible Way; try to keep in mind that you are the face of Jesus to the world.
2. Be a Friend by Showing Love; Jesus was a close friend to hated tax collectors like Matthew and Zacchaeus. He was called "Friend of Sinners" in Matthew 11:19. If we are his followers, ought to be accused of being a friend of sinners too? Jesus taught us to how to share the gospel by showing our love to others in John 13:34-35:
3. Be a Good, Kind, and Godly Example: When we spend time in the presence of Jesus, his character will rub off on us. With his Holy Spirit working in us, we can forgive our enemies and love those who hate us, just as our Lord did. By his grace we can be good examples to those outside of the kingdom who are watching our lives.
4. Submit to Authority and Obey God Romans chapter 13 teaches us that rebelling against authority is the same as rebelling against God.
5. Pray for God to Open a Door: In our eagerness to be witnesses for Christ, we often rush ahead of God. We may see what looks to us like an open door to share the gospel, but if we jump in without devoting time to prayer, our efforts may be futile or even counterproductive.

Why not pray this prayer based upon Philemon v6, I pray that I may be active in sharing my faith, so that I will have a full understanding of every good thing I have in Christ. Amen