Sharing the faith

[Lady Julian]

Wow, good question.

Right now my employer is a Christian college. So I spend my days around a bunch of believers, or at least people who believe that they believe. For me, this means that I don't have loads of opportunities to share my faith with someone who is unfamiliar with it; instead, I make an effort to share the grace and mercy of God with students who are used to legalism. I am the "safe spot" for students to come share frustrations or concerns which do not necessarily fit inside a conservative box, and I try to remind my students that expressing emotions is healthy and biblical. My Literature students just finished reading a novel that underscored the dangers of religion without love. I encourage students to see the value, as Christians, of concerning themselves with issues of social justice, such as racial privilege or feminism.

This way of sharing my faith is important to me because, though I grew up in a Christian home, I did not truly understand the freedom in Christ until the last few years. It has been a beautiful experience to realize that there are no more laws, that there is only love for Christ and love for other people. I want to pass that on to other believers.

Eventually I'd like to move to a more secularized circle, as I think it's healthier in the long run. When I do that, I will have no idea how to share my faith. I am much better at a sort of "don't-ask-don't-tell" policy in secular situations. I am uncomfortable with sharing my faith with unbelievers, because I just cringe when other Christians decide that witnessing to someone is a better idea than respecting a thought-out belief or simply caring for someone's needs.