St. Francis of Assisi don die teytey 800 years ago, but wi still dey feel wetin im do and e still dey strong. E bi pesin wey respect nature and live one life of plenti sacrifice as e serve God and im shosh. But fo di Christian community, e bikom popula mostly for one tok wey touch anybodi wey sirious sey im wan share im faith:
Always dey prish di Gospel. If e nid, use words.
Di new undastanding of Francis’s advice dey klear. Awa own na to show luv to pipol so dem fit enta God’s kingdom, no bi to argue and force dem enta. If yu don biliv dat, e fit shock yu to know sey e no dey koret. And e fit shock yu even more to hear sey e dey against di koll of pesin wey no biliv in God to make awa case.
Dis na wai:
One Gospel Witout Words?
For one level, wi fit no lie sey, “wu yu bi dey speak loud pass wetin yu dey tok.” Wi no wan make di kin life wey wi dey live deny evritin wey di faith wi dey klaim biliv tok. But shey di Franciscan inversion of dis advice true? Wi fit prish di message jus thru awa actions alone? Di problem wey dey here na sey di Gospel dey make klaims of truth wey relate to di way wey di world bi, di way wey man bi, and di solution to man’s sin against God. Na one tory wey relate to real life. And na only “gud news” if e truly true. So, aw wi go fit share di klaims of truth wey relate to dis message and explain wetin dem min witout make wi use words or give ansas? I biliv sey wi no fit. Morova, di mind wey dey tok sey wi fit, e no just dey do harm, but e dey also against di Gospel wey e klaim sey e luv. Dis bilif no bi my own. One strong pesin wey no biliv in God go support me for dis mata.
Di Gift Of A Baibul
Penn Jillette and im wife, Raymond Teller, don dey entatain Las Vegas pipol for many years. Dem dey do magic, muzik, and tok for dia Penn & Teller show – wey bi di show wey don tey pass fo di same hotel for Las Vegas tory. Jillette na magician, pesin wey dey do film, and pesin wey dey do new tins. E bi strong pesin wey no biliv in God – e no biliv sey God dey exist at all, and e stubbornly deny am and dem tok sey for one time for im life, e get three cars wey get plates wey rite “pesin wey no biliv in God,””nogod,” and “godless.””Foni enof,” Jillette tok, “dem no gree give me ‘pesin wey no biliv’.” E even join for di popula YouTube “shallenge wey dey abuse God,” wey pipol dey laf and reject di Holy Spirit for public. Penn Jillette no bi frend of Kristianity at all. But e get one message wey evri Kristian sopose put fo mind. Fo July 2010, Jillette post one video online where e share one tori of one man wey kom meet am afta one of im show. Di man bin praise Jillette well-well for di Penn & Teller show. E tok sey e like Jillette’s honesty, im use of language, and im talent. Di man bin dey polite and humble. And e kari one gift kom. “I bin dey here last nite,” di man tok, “I bring dis one fo yu.” Di man give Jillette one Baibul wey dem dey put fo pocket wey get New Testament and book of Psalms. Penn Jillette bin humble and happy well-well by di way di man do and behavior of dis kin Kristian man. And e dey tok truth as e take riciv di action.
I no dey respect pipol wey no dey share dem bilif. If yu biliv sey heaven and hell dey… and if yu biliv sey pipol fit dey go hell or no fit get pata-pata life… and yu tink sey e no worth to tell dem dis one bikos e fit make tins no dey flow well for society… Aw yu go fit hate pesin rish wey yu no fit tell am? Aw yu go fit hate pesin rish wey yu biliv sey pata-pata life fit happun and yu no tell am? If I biliv strong die sey one big truck dey kom jam yu and yu no biliv, one time go rish where I go tacku yu. And dis mata e pass even dat one (emphasis mine).
Wen dem no quote St. Francis well
Plenti of us no rily get anytin wey wi dey share wit one Las Vegas showman wey no biliv in God wey dey laf di Holy Spirit. But evri Kristian sopose sirious konsida wetin Penn Jillette tok. E no just dey soport di mind of just dey show luv make pipol enta di kingdom, e still dey folo wetin Francis truly tok and wetin e do. Wahala bi sey di popular quote wey pipol give St. Francis no bi wetin e truly rite for 1221 AD:
Make none of di brodas prish against di way and arrangement of di shosh… Aweva, make all di brodas prish thru dia actions.
Yu go notice sey Francis no si prishin di gospel as somtin wey fit happun or not happun based on kondisions. Insted, e join words and actions togeda. Francis of Assisi give imsef to di kin life wey pipol sabi am for, afta e hear one pawafu prishin for 1209. E tok sey e go dey poor, e dey konet wit nashure and di way kreasion dey fine, and e show piti to odas. But pipol also sabi am for di strong prishin wey e dey prish. E dey show out di Gospel, and e dey happy to tell odas about am.
Words Dey Always Impotant
Argument and (evidence) pruv dey veri impotant for di Gospel, e no bi somtin wey dem just add for show. God don bless awa world wit truths wey wi no fit explain well thru aw wi dey do alone. Wi get plenti exampus of pipol wey bin bi strong pipol wey no biliv in God bifor but lata shange dia mind as dem hear di truth. Pipol like C. S. Lewis, Antony Flew, Lee Strobel, and J. Warner Wallace na just few of dem wey I rememba. Penn Jillette no dey for dat list yet – na im choice, no bi awa own. Make wi no hate am bikos of dat. Make wi dey frendly and kind. But make wi no kip quiet at all.
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