Telling Your Story

Acts 21:37-22:16

The drama of Paul's arrest continues in today's reading, and I find myself a bit amused by the question of the Roman commander: "Aren't you the Egyptian who led a rebellion some time ago?" This man who had arrested Paul didn't even know who he was or why he was being beaten by the mob. So Paul takes this opportunity to address the mob and speak in his own defense.

Two things leap out at me from this section of reading. The first thing is that the Roman commander is surprised that Paul would know Greek. And then when Paul addresses the mob, he speaks in Aramaic. Paul seems very aware of how the language he chooses to use affects the people with whom he is speaking. By speaking to the mob in their own language, he is able to silence the crowd and get them to pay attention to him. The commander, too, seems more willing to assist Paul because Paul spoke to him in Greek.

While we may not have much opportunity to use different languages in our daily lives, it's clear that how we speak has an effect on those with whom we are speaking. You may have discovered that words we commonly use in the church, like "justification" or "salvation" or even "grace," don't often have the same (or any) meaning to those outside the church. I sometimes make it a point to leave out "churchy" words when talking about Christianity to non-Christians. Or, if I must use particularly churchy words, making sure they understand what I mean by them. The point is to try to make a connection, and if we speak in "Christianese," we may end up putting up a wall instead of building a bridge.

The other thing I notice in today's reading is how Paul speaks in his defense. He simply tells his story.

We all have our own stories of how we came to faith in Jesus. For some people the stories are about dramatic shifts in lifestyle; for some of us it's a seamless process of being raised in the faith and then claiming it as our own. But everyone has a story. Sometimes -- maybe all the time -- your own personal story of how you came to faith is best witnessing tool you have.

These are things to keep in mind when you have the opportunity to speak to others about Jesus. Talk in such a way that you can build a connection to your listeners, and then just tell your story.

--Drew Clausen