But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

1 Peter 3:15

My big task today is to make a second short video (very short) to run ahead of my visit to Ohio next month. Kind of the “elevator speech” version of the weekend, a “preview” or “trailer.”

It’s a good exercise for all of us to consider, to maybe have in our back pocket a 60-second summary of what is important to us. Or, as the New Testament writer Peter suggests, “to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

To me this kind of puts the kibosh on the practice of confrontational or negative evangelism. If we really do have any hope within us then it’s going to be evident, and then someone’s going to ask us about it and – “with gentleness and respect” – we get to offer some kind of an explanation.

So I guess what I need to be doing is offering some kind of an explanation for the hope that lives inside me, the belief and enthusiasm that garnered the invitation to Ohio in the first place.

This makes me think about the story in Acts 4, where Peter and John go to the temple and get into trouble for talking about Jesus. Eventually they were let go, but told – threatened – “no more talking about Jesus!”

Their reply was priceless. “We can’t help ourselves! We have to speak about what we have seen and heard!”

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Acts 4:18-20

Last Sunday I was watching one of the early episodes of “The Chosen.” One of the Pharisees, Nicodemus, is questioning Mary Magdalene. He wants to know what happened; he wants theology, he wants details, ideas or doctrines that could possibly be argued. Instead, she simply said: “Here is what I can tell you. I was one way… and now I am completely different. And the thing that happened in between… was him.”

Jesus. If there is no hope then there is nothing to talk about. If his love and presence mean anything at all? Then “we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Sixty seconds or less. What are you going to say? – DEREK