"That’s a Paid Vacation!"

A gospel opportunity

I love it when someone says something that most people want to say, and don’t. I genuinely appreciate it. Having something said to you, even something that may be uncomfortable, can still be very refreshing when the alternative is that the thing remains hidden.

It was in the middle of a regular day at work pulling electrical wires when another tradesman stopped by to see the job. In conversation with my colleague and I, he jokingly tried to sell me his truck; trying to convince me I could start my own business with it.

I told him, “Nah, I’m trying to switch careers”

“Oh yeah?” He asked.

“Yeah, to be a missionary”

“oh right, you mentioned that a while ago, I thought you gave up or something. It’s taking a while. Where you going?”

“Yeah, I know, it’s complicated. And (with a little hesitation I said) … Italy.”

“Italy!?, that’s a paid vacation is what that is!”

Venetian Canal

I just smiled and laughed. “I know right!? “We’ve taken three trips to Italy and the first trip we were just tourists, but things changed a lot for us since then. God showed us things even during that first trip that revealed to us that there is big spiritual need in Italy”

Still not understanding what I meant, he asked with a raised eyebrow “ok, … so, why Italy? They’re not like … poor, right?”

“Right, they’re doing pretty good that way. But being a missionary is different from working for an aid organization. While I believe it’s good to help people with their physical needs like giving them food for their hunger, if that person went home to an abusive home; well there’s something else going on there. Abuse is a spiritual problem that needs a spiritual answer. But, more than that; Jesus is needed. Jesus says that he is The Way, The Truth, and The Life, and that means two things. That other options aren’t true. Jesus said he is The truth not A truth. And it also means, that if he’s right that he is these things; then everyone needs him. I don’t care if a person calls themselves an Atheist, or a Muslim, or a Catholic or a Protestant, I want them to know Jesus. So with Italy, I’m not saying that I think if someone is Catholic that they are automatically not a christian, but from our experience, I’m saying there is a very big difference between having a lot of nice buildings with crosses on them, and knowing what Jesus did for us.”

St. Peter's Bascilica

Then, hoping that it would translate to this friend who I don’t think grew up in the church like I did; I decided to use the most vivid example I have to illustrate my point that Italy needs the gospel. (Looking back on this experience, I feel we were given it as a God given experience for our equipping and for us to use to describe the need in Italy).-

I said “on our first trip, we did a tour of the Vatican, and we loved it, I highly recommend it. But as we finished going through the museum and we’re going through the doors of Saint Peter’s, which is like the center of Christianity if you’re Catholic, there was a man at the door working as a greeter and he said “this is a Jubilee year” (meaning a 50^th year) and then he told me that it had been decided that a special blessing being given to Pilgrims was that by walking through the doors of Saint Peter’s our sins were absolved (forgiven/taken away)!”

Though my friend isn’t a Christian he understood what I was getting at.

He said “sounds good to me!” and laughed; joking that the idea of being made right by something as simple as walking through some doors was his kind of gospel.

He was able as an unbeliever to see the foolishness of that idea, and I was able to continue and explain how through personal repentance and dependence on Christ’s work we are made right.

Using the example of the proceedings of a courtroom; I explained that just as a good judge cant dismiss us of our crime because of other good things we have done, we can’t justify ourselves before a perfect God. But thank God! – Christianity takes a different path than the striving of religion and says that the perfect judge himself decided to step down into our mess and take our place and choose to be punished for our crime

I’m sure others have questioned our intentions with Italy but shied away from saying something like he did, so I appreciated that he didn’t get caught up in worrying about offending me. I Enjoyed being able to speak directly to his criticism but more than that I appreciated the opportunity to share how the Jesus way is the best way.

In the north of Italy the gospel knowing and gospel proclaiming church is probably as small as .05 percent of the population and the evangelical churches are typically very small. But praise God many are hungry for The Way, The Truth and The Life of Jesus. We can’t wait to get back and share in their journey.

Please pray for the small Italian churches of Italy, for boldness to preach the gospel and for God to move in power with miracles (Acts 4:29-30)

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