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Telling the World Its Story

I opened this book by saying that religious skepticism is on the rise. However, as we have seen, this is not primarily due to the intellectual power or persuasive energy of any anti-Christian worldview. Today’s most vocal unbelievers are not rejecting Christianity based on a reasoned attempt to explain the evidence in some other way. Their attacks on the faith are not well-thought-out and substantial arguments, but propaganda assaults that don’t stand much scrutiny, and cannot compete in an honest marketplace of ideas.245 This should give us confidence as we interact with our skeptical friends and colleagues. You may not have all the answers, but they certainly don’t either. By asking questions and gently instructing them in the truth, you can be used by God to open their minds and hearts to his love.

You can also be encouraged by the fact that you have the answers that unbelievers need, whether they realize it or not. As Richard John Neuhaus notes, “Our job is to alert people to their own story.”246 God has entrusted us with the task of telling the world the truth about the meaning of life, the source of evil, and the wonderful plan God has enacted to fix it. That truth is exactly what people need to make sense of their lives, and whether they acknowledge that over coffee with you or not, it is still a fact. Telling that story will have an effect.

Indeed, right now Christians have a unique opportunity to multiply that effect as Christianity currently has no strong worldview competitors. Neuhaus writes, “At this beginning of the third millennium, there is only one comprehensive, coherent, compelling, hopeful story of the human project being proposed to the world, and that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”247

People are searching for their story. They long to make sense of this world and find some reason for hope. We have the truth they are looking for. God has given us an amazing opportunity and we must take advantage of it. My prayer is that you are now better equipped to do just that.