Winning hearts, not twisting arms

Some more thoughts on Christians values and culture, this time from Charles Colson in the February 2006 Christianity Today. I love the subtitle, “Changing the law isn’t enough.”

To change the culture, therefore, we must learn how to engage the political process more winsomely. It will require a different mindset. We’ll need to recognize that we’re appealing to hearts and minds, not twisting arms. In fact as well as in appearance, we are not seeking to impose, but rather to propose. We’re not demanding something for ourselves; we are inviting a hungry and needy world to come to Christ and find goodness and fullness of life. The Christian church makes a Great Proposal, inviting everyone to the table—regardless of ethnic origin, background, or economic status. We’re inviting people to consider a worldview that’s livable, that makes sense, in which people can discover shalom and human flourishing.
This means, first, loving those we contend against in the political process. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Whom you would change, you must first love.”
Darryl Dash

Darryl Dash

I'm a grateful husband, father, oupa, and pastor of Grace Fellowship Church Don Mills. I love learning, writing, and encouraging. I'm on a lifelong quest to become a humble, gracious old man.
Toronto, Canada