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Jesus and the Samaritan Woman painted by Carl Bloch |
In the words of St. Peter, the Christian must “always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope” and to do it with “gentleness and reverence” (1 Pet 3:15). Three keywords are:
- Reason. A Christian well-versed in in his beliefs will certainly have a gaggle of explanations in mind, but they may also be too complex, technical, and academic sounding. What sounds comprehensible to you may sound like a “resounding gong or a clashing cymbal” (1 Cor 13:1) to another. What are the intellectual and emotional levels of your audience? Take the liberty to manufacture your understanding into a style accessible for others so that you may communicate to all types of people with great success.
- Gentleness. It is all too easy to offend someone by flaunting wisdom at the wrong time (Sirach 32:4), being judgmental, insensitive, and ignorant. No one knows how the Samaritan woman would have reacted if Jesus immediately attacked her personal life like gangbusters, but one could reasonably guess she would have responded unfavorably. Continuously examine your speaking methods and ask the Holy Spirit to purify them. Gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).
- Reverance. Every man and woman was, is, and will be thought about by God from all eternity. It is His choice to create all human beings, and creation would not be complete without each one. Therefore, human decency is owed to every man and woman since all are made in the "image of God" (Gen 1:27). Do you show basic respect to those who are unable or unwilling to accept the Gospel?