We’ve all seen the menagerie of hand printed cardboard signs held by indigent and vagabond souls soliciting help. Most messages are humble pleas identifying their hungry and homeless status but recently a great deal of creativity has been employed.
I’ve seen a couple of people with signs that read, “Bet you can’t hit me with a quarter!” Maybe you’ve seen the laconic reverse psychology sign that reads, “Who am I kidding? I need a beer!” These intersection cries for help have been taken to a new level when I recently saw a gentleman holding a sign that read, “Atheist. Will convert for cash. God Bless.” Now that’s a variation on a theme. I’m not sure if it was a political statement against the religious right perceived to do anything to convert some, or if it was just simply a sardonic soul that found the absurdity of an atheist saying “God Bless” was too good to pass up. None-the-less, he caught my attention and got me thinking.
What will motivate someone to convert? The Bible is a collection of conversion stories and history is replete with dramatic conversions and of course there is always the ever popular (let’s try to forget) crusades that not only involved Muslim-Christian contention over Jerusalem but forced and coerced conversions. Maybe the crusades are after all the best illustration of the nature of conversion. In 1212 some two hundred years after the first crusade a young French boy allegedly rallied a band of children to march peaceably to Jerusalem to convince the Muslims to accept Christianity and it’s right to the church of the Holy Sepulcher. Historians now believe it was more likely a grassroots movement of the poor. However history views the Children’s Crusade, it is reminder of Jesus affirmation to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place (John 18:36).” Paul adds, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).”
What will motivate someone to convert? Only the Spirit of God piercing the heart with its sword of truth revealing one’s sinful soul in need of redemption. Cash won’t do it. Military might won’t do it. The finest argument or slickest PowerPoint won’t do it. The list is endless of tried and failed methods but the target never changes. God wants to convert the heart! Conversion mandates a two-fold confession: 1) I am sinful and alienated from the Creator; and 2) Jesus can wash my sins away and lead me home if I’ll submit to His Lordship. The promise is that the Spirit not only convicts men of sin but leads them into holiness. What motivated you… or will motivate you? -DAN
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