How Do I Share What I Believe? When Evangelism Is Like Baseball

I’ve been doing criminal interviews and interrogations for many years now, and I’ve interviewed a variety of criminal offenders (although most have been murder suspects). I’ve learned an important principle, analogous with baseball, in these repeated efforts to get to the truth: home runs aren’t the only way to score. In fact, there are times when swinging for the fences can be a distinct liability. Baseball games are usually won with singles and doubles; realistic efforts to get on base and let the next guy at bat do his job. I’ve learned not to make the “copout” my singular goal in interrogations. If I can score a home run and get a confession, great; if not, a number of lesser admissions will serve the same purpose when we finally get to trial. If I can get enough singles, I’ll still drive in a run.

This analogous truth is equally applicable to our efforts to share and defend the Christian worldview. In recent months (and years) we’ve seen a number of movies released in an effort to evangelize or make a defense for Christianity. Some are good, some are not so good. Less successful efforts have typically targeted home runs rather than singles. Ten years ago, when Mel Gibson produced the critically successful The Passion of the Christ, he decided to limit the narrative to a very small portion of the Biblical account. As a result, the movie was laser focused and had the time (and creative “space”) to do the narrative justice. It was a well-placed single, causing many people to rethink what they believed about Jesus. It started conversations. It had a deep impact, even though it left many questions unaddressed and omitted the vast majority of the Biblical narrative. The producers reined in their ambition and produced something limited, but powerful. They never preached the Gospel directly, but their movie certainly loaded the bases for many of us who came to the plate later and did our part to drive in a run.

Our private conversations with non-believers are similarly analogous to baseball. In every conversation I have with unbelieving friends, I am ever mindful of the value of singles. I don’t have to “win” every encounter. I don’t necessarily have to offer the Gospel or describe the Christian view of Salvation. If I get the right pitch, I’m happy to swing. But most of the time I’m lucky to get on base at all. With reasonable expectations in mind, I am happy to overcome a single objection or advance someone’s understanding just a base or two. In fact, sometimes the most important thing I can do is reflect the nature of Jesus as I listen and gently respond. I may not even get the chance to offer a defense or make a point, but my character will speak for me as I make the effort to get on base.

When I share the truth with unbelievers, I sometimes act as though I’m playing a singles tennis match. I’m on one side of the net, and my opponent is on the other. I’m all alone out there on the court, it’s hot and the entire world is watching on ESPN. Whatever I do (or don’t do), whatever I say (or don’t say), will all come down to my individual effort. If I’m going to be successful, it’s all on me. But that’s not the reality of my situation. I’m part of a much deeper team called the Church. I’m not alone on the court; I’m just one in a series of batters. I come to the plate, I get a sense of what the pitcher is throwing, and I make an appropriate decision on how to respond. On rare occasions I may swing for the fences, but sometimes the wiser choice will be to make contact with the ball, get on base if possible, or take a “walk” if the pitcher is throwing wildly. It’s not all on me. I don’t have to win the game by myself. Evangelism and Christian Case Making is often just like baseball. Remember your place in the line-up. Drive in a run if you can, or just get on base for the next player at bat. Remember you’re not alone. If each of us can get a single, we’ll eventually succeed as a team.

Comments

[Carolyn]

Great post and the underlying message is so appropriate. We can plant seeds without feeling like we have to grow the whole tree. Thanks for writing this! On my way to a retreat and the theme is evangelism--this will be great to share!

[Sam]

Good analogy.

[d]

Actually, the Bible shows ample evidence as to how to answer this question, and it's quite simple:

Share the facts about Jesus Christ!

--He is the Son of God
--He came to earth 2,000 years ago and lived a perfect, sinless life
--He was unjustly executed in our place and for our sins
--He was dead, buried, and raised again
--He ascended to heaven, where he remains to this day
--He is coming again

Period. That's all the New Testament knows about how share our faith, and that's all we should know. The rest is up to God.

Everything else is about living the Christian life in such a way as to make the above facts meaningful: they shouldn't ring hollow when someone considers those facts and compares them with how we live our life.

I think Brother J would have been better served by appealing to the truth of Scripture for this article...

[Jeremydriley]

Wow, what a great analogy. I'm going to borrow this one in the future. :)

[dave]

The Apostle Paul taught this "bases loaded" concept in I Corinthians 3 when he said "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase."

He then went on to say: "So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."

I think a lot of times we go beyond the simplicity of the Gospel, as "d" states in the above comment, and try to "full nelson" people to the mat as though we are in a "tag team" wrestling match.

It's God who saves people. we only need to tell them about it.

[the Old Adam]

More than "share the facts"…hand over Christ to them!

DO the gospel to them!

But don't hit them over the head with your Bible. Get to know them a bit first and speak into their suffering and disappointments.

Thanks.

[Kevin Sanders]

I appreciate this thoughtful article. When you meet people who don't operate from a Christian worldview their understanding of God may be very limited and it may take time for them to be able to respond to the gospel. Paul used a unique strategy when talking to the pagan philosophers in Acts 17 (different than the way he preached in the synagogues).

[d]

More than "share the facts"…hand over Christ to them! DO the gospel to them! But don't hit them over the head with your Bible. Get to know them a bit first and speak into their suffering and disappointments.

If by this you mean something along the lines of "love them into the kingdom," then no.

If instead you are indicating something akin to what I wrote in my earlier comment, about how our life as Christians should back up what we claim, then yes.

Again, I point to the record of the New Testament as our model for evangelism, and the overwhelming predominance we see for our example of how to evangelize is to simply tell people the facts of Jesus Christ. Paul wrote about this most plainly in 1 Cor. 15, when reminding them of the gospel, he says, "I delivered to you as of first importance..." Then, he doesn't go on to "speak into their suffering and disappointments." Rather, he simply lists the facts of Jesus Christ. It's interesting that he labels this as "the gospel" and something that is "of first importance."

I think that speaks volumes to how we should evangelize today.