Recently I was given a little reading assignment entitled Yes and No in a Taxicab by Walter Bouman. It is a dialogue (verbatim) between Pastor Bouman and a Taxicab driver. I would encourage any Christian to read this dialogue because it truly serves as a guide to an Evangelism 101.
On the way, to the airport and wearing a clergy collar the cab driver engages Bouman in a conversation about religion. The cab driver is not a stranger to church but at this point in his life does not engage in or practice any form of organized religion. In fact, the cab driver reduces all religions to being good, just as long as a person practices them. Bouman begins to shoot down this argument pointing to Hitler and Nazism as dangerous religion.
Bouman does not catechize in the traditional way in which we would understand and expect from a pastor. Bouman simply inquires from the cab driver what in his life does he say "Yes" to, what is it that justifies his existence. Inevitably this line of questioning points to the fact that anything in this world that has our "Yes" loyalty and devotion other than the one true living God will lead to despair.
This conversation seemed to have taken place during the Vietnam war because the cab driver discusses the possibility of his son being drafted. Bouman's insight, however, still applies in a Post-Modern context. Bouman does not abandon the traditions and teachings of the Church as he bears witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ to this cab driver. In fact, Bouman is echoing what Martin Luther argues in the Large Catechism "That now, I say upon which you set your heart and put your trust is properly your god."
Responding to the cab drivers insight on the short comings of the Church faithfully living out this Good News of Jesus Christ Bouman said, "when the church cares about itself and worries about whether people care about it, then that's a sure sign that the Gospel is being missed somewhere. The Gospel sets people free from wondering who cares about them, sets them free for caring."
In our current context, there are still many false gods in the Church and in the world. Mainline churches who are concerned with institutional survival need to hear these wise words of witness from Walter Bouman.
As a millennial, trying to share who Jesus Christ is to others in my generation I often do not know where to begin. When trying to convey to a parishioner who is a baby boomer how the Good News they hear every week has freed them to care for others I do not know where to begin. Walter Bouman and Martin Luther both give us a starting point on where our conversations may begin. We can discuss and inquire about the god(s) in their lives and through dialogue and discussion we can share the story of Jesus Christ.
From the dialogue, we do not know what happens to the cab driver. Did he start going back to church? Did the god in his life become Jesus Christ? Did he continue to practice his private religion?
That is not essential. If we use Walter Bouman's witness, as a guide to fast and empirical results in evangelism then we miss the point. On this day, when Walter Bouman was in a cab heading to the airport he shared the Good News and planted a seed. It is the planting and watering of seeds that those who belong to the Church are called to do in caring for others.
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