Use news and current affairs to talk about Jesus

"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious..." - Acts 17:22 - NIV

Stop and consider: Have you ever used a current news story to start a meaningful conversation that points people to Jesus?

News and current affairs can be good tools for turning conversations to Jesus and the gospel in a natural and appropriate way. For example, you could take any headline about the activities of Islamic State (IS) and the awful things done in its name. People at work are likely to have strong opinions on this disturbing subject.

Here’s an example conversation (it’s based on the story of a planned IS terrorist attack in Brisbane and Sydney that was thwarted at the last minute):

Me: “Hey Mike, what about that terrorist plot that was foiled yesterday. Bit scary, eh?”

Mike: “Yeah, really scary to think that sort of stuff could happen in Australia.”

Me: “It’s not going to help relations with the Muslim community. Have you noticed how politicians keep trying to separate radical Islam from what they say is true Islam—a religion of peace? What do you think?”

Mike: “I think all religions encourage war and violence, and if they come here, they should leave their religion at the front door.”

Me: “You think all religions lead to war and violence?”

Mike: “Yep, look at the Crusades. The Christians were on the warpath back then. Now it’s the Muslims’ turn.”

Me (plucking up courage): “Mike, I hear what you’re saying, and yes—the Crusades don’t give Christianity a good name. But violence and retaliation aren’t consistent with Jesus’ teaching. He allowed himself to be arrested and executed by the Romans; he didn’t fight back. And his message was spread by gentle persuasion, not by force. Have you read much about Jesus?”

Mike: “Only at school. But I thought it was pretty boring.”

And from there, you can move on to talk more about who Jesus really is. I know all conversations don’t quite go as perfectly as this one, but it’s worth trying.

Principles

Here are some principles of how to turn news and current affairs stories to Jesus and the gospel:

• Try to find a point in the day or week where there’s a bit more time to chat. Maybe go out for coffee or lunch.
• Look for tangents to the gospel—for example, conversations about human nature, the purpose of life, evil, hope for the future, relationships, morality and how to motivate people to do the right thing, forgiveness, justice.
• The end aim is not to have an intellectual conversation but to somehow get to Jesus and the gospel.
• Make sure you have listened carefully to the other person’s opinions and you understand their position well before giving your opinions. If they feel like you’ve given them a good hearing, hopefully, they will return the courtesy.
• This needs to be done in a natural and appropriate way. Don’t force it.
• But at some point in the conversation, you’re going to need courage to bring up Jesus and Christianity.

Action: Look at today’s news and pick a story that might lend itself to some interesting conversation and some gospel truth. Try using that story to talk about the gospel.