Four Encounters - Four Stories
guest post by Larry Dinkins
Before I came to Thailand I had been trained in a number of evangelistic approaches such as 4 Laws, EE, Romans Road, etc. I added to my repertoire methods that missionaries had devised, most of them tract or poster based. Most of them were rather "canned" and what I noticed was the Thai immediately equated my presentation with selling a religious "product" and invariably responded with, "All religions are the same, they teach you to be a good person" (I've heard that phrase a thousand times). As my language improved I was able to be more sensitive in my evangelistic efforts but I still came across as a salesman or lawyer as I sought through apologetics to find a hole in their Buddhist philosophy or reasoning process.
After being exposed to the power of story and the fact that Thai are at their core oral learners, I have started using a different approach. Most conversations we have as we go through life are in natural situations like waiting at a bus station, traveling in a taxi, interacting with a merchant over a purchase, getting a hair cut, etc. Often these divine appointments are only 5 or 10 minutes long. In the past, my default was to make small talk, look for a chance to insert a "bridge building" connection to the gospel, throw in an apologetic argument and end the conversation by handing them a tract. My hope was that they would read the tract and since it contained the Word of God, I was assured it would not return void. I still hand out a tracts if the situation warrants, but more often I'm seeking to tell the Thai a short Bible story that somehow fits with where they are in life. This last weekend in Bangkok I was encouraged by four such encounters:
- While buying a roti on the street, I noticed a distinct accent and asked the ethnicity of the seller. He indicated that he was a Muslim from Burma and asked me if I had heard of Aung San Suu Kyi. Just that morning I had read an article about her and the tensions in Burma between the Buddhist majority and Burmese Muslims. As that topic waned I asked him if he was familiar with the "Nabi" (prophets) in the Koran. I then asked him if he would like to hear a story about Nabi Abraham. He listened with genuine interest as I related the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac. That led us to talk about Ishmael and some differences in the accounts between the Koran and the Bible. I told him I would try to return and tell him another Nabi story tomorrow. I don't know how much he processed from the story, but I'm seeing a distinct difference in the way people respond when you start out with a story that fits in with their world view.
- At breakfast I began to chat with the Thai cook who was washing dishes. She indicated that she had worked at this Christian guest house for three years, so I surmised that she was a believer. It turned out that she was a Buddhist, but had taken a huge cut in pay from her previous job because she liked working at this guest house. As she finished the dishes, I told her the story of Mary and Martha from Luke 10 and asked a couple of questions about the story. Once again she seemed genuinely interested and appreciated the story.
- There was a cloud burst as I entered a taxi for an important appointment and we ended up in a typical Bangkok traffic jam. The taxi driver was trying his best to get me to my appointment as he weaved and swerved through thick traffic. I told him, "I have a story about a man who had similar trouble getting through a crowd, a crowd of people, not cars. Would you like to hear it?" I then related the story of Zacheus. As we departed I handed him a tract written especially for taxi drivers.
- A few minutes ago I took a taxi to the airport for my flight to Chiang Mai. On the seat I noticed a book with a prominent monk on the cover. This famous monk "Luang Pu Thuat" used to be an abbot at a temple in South Thailand. The taxi driver told me that t
he Thai know this monk as the "monk who steps into ocean water and makes it fresh water" (หลวงปู่ทวดเหยียบนำ้ทะเลจืด). As he described his favorite monk, I began to mentally scan my data base of Bible stories for one that might be of interest. I came up with the Wedding in Cana and turning of water to wine. I told him, "I have a story from the Bible in which Jesus turns fresh water into wine. Would you like to hear it?" I then related the entire story from John 2. My stress was on how this wasn't simply superstition, but a historic story in which Jesus showed his power as God and his disciples first believed in Him. What ensued was a pleasant conversation about Jesus, nature of sin and salvation.
The reason I was in Bangkok was to give a story seminar to prospective missionaries from mainland China and to preach in a Bangkok church using a story model. So with the evangelistic opportunities, this weekend proved to be truly "story filled".
I find that much of my life in Thailand is seeking such divine appointments where the gospel through narrative can be inserted into the conversation in a winsome and natural way. Sometimes this leads to a deeper level of connection and communication, but most often it serves as a step in that persons journey towards Christ.
