What You Should Know About Paradigm and Sharing the Gospel

Paradigms are interesting, two people can see and experience exactly the same thing but will have two completely different interpretations of it. Our own paradigm makes us see the world not as it is, but as how were conditioned to see it. It's brought about by our past experiences and our own set of principles.

Just last night as I was riding a jeepney¹ home, and when almost all the streets were flooded because of the heavy rain, a lady was knocking repeatedly on the roof of our vehicle to signal the driver that it's her stop and that she wanted to go down. However, we were right in the middle of an intersection of two major roads, and traffic was heavy.

The driver was grabbing any chance he could get to weave through the piling vehicles, and if you've been stuck in a Manila traffic jam, you'll know that it becomes a game of outwitting and out-gutting. Whoever has mustered both gets through the jam first... But then, it was also the only part of the road where the flood was shallow enough to walk comfortably on during the time.

Anyway, the driver told her that she can get down once we're through the intersection, because if he doesn't do his thing, we will all eventually get to our destination longer. The lady didn't react anything bad, but a younger woman among the commuters whispered a nasty remark. I, however, silently agreed with the driver.

image courtesy of hobotraveler.com

As I was reflecting on the situation, I realized that if I didn't have any experience driving in this city, I would probably sympathize with the lady trying to get down too. But I also knew how much harder it is to get through any traffic jam in our country and how every “window of opportunity” is crucial. The young woman with the nasty remark may only had the point of view of a pedestrian, while I experienced being both driver and pedestrian.

As Christians, we may know better about salvation, but we should also take into consideration where others may be coming from before sharing anything. There are times when we have to get to know the person first and what experiences he or she might have, instead of imposing our own points of view immediately. To put it more simply: We know better – they don't, so we have to know what they don't know.

Now I might not be a super evangelist but I do have some selling experience. And in sales, you do not necessarily present your product immediately. Sometimes you have to listen to your prospects first, to know their expectations and to get a feel of the approach you'll be using.

In sharing the Gospel, it's getting to know where others need healing the most, and to be there when they need to be heard.

Stephen R. Covey in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, calls it “psychological air,” He goes on to write that next to physical survival, the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival – to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be appreciated.

Even the book of James tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak (1:19), but sometimes, we're too busy preparing our pitch that we fail to just open our ears and, more importantly, our hearts.

God bless!

1 Jeepneys are the most popular means of transportation in the Philippines. They are known for their flamboyant decoration and crowded seating. The first jeepney was made from a military jeep left from World War 2.

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