Thoughts on the September isse

One day when I was in college, I was sitting in a little park on campus trying to relax and refocus before my next class. While I was there, I met a guy who was looking for a conversation partner so that he could improve his English. He was from the Middle East, and I agreed to talk with him about once a week for the rest of the semester. During that time, he asked a lot of questions about American culture, customs, and life in general. At some point, he told me he was a Muslim, and our conversation turned to topics of faith. He wanted to know what I believed, how it differed from what he believed, and why I believed it.

I was caught off-guard, and my response was, well, lacking. I don’t know if anything I said came anywhere near explaining what I believed and why. I don’t remember specifically talking about Christ or sharing the gospel. I don’t think I did the Truth justice and am pretty sure I rushed past that moment in the conversation to other topics I felt more comfortable with and was better prepared to talk about.

But now, years later, I count that conversation as a missed opportunity to share the gospel and defend my faith. Before long, the semester was over and I lost touch with my friend. Because I’d never even thought about how to defend what I believed or why I believed it, my defense of the things most important to me was lackluster and uncomfortable at best. What little information I did manage to give was simply words and phrases I’d heard other people say, not my own reasons or responses.

As editor of ec, if there’s anything I want with this magazine, it’s to help you know God deeply and help you to NOT make the mistakes I did. That’s why I want you to think about what you believe and why now, so that you can give a defense when someone asks you later. Read Courtney Jo Vessey’s lead story “Make no apologies” on page 27 for more on that. Wrestle with the tough questions of faith now; don’t run away from them. Let our new series “Tough Questions” on page 30 help you begin that process. Live your faith, as Hannah Wakefield encourages you to in her story on page 40, and make your faith known.
My best advice to you as someone who’s a little older and made more mistakes: dive in deep in your relationship with God. Get to know Him and trust Him with your tough questions. He can handle them, and, more than that, He wants to. Trust Him, seek Him, talk about Him. Make no apologies!