Monday, February 20, 2012

The Greatest Form of Evangelization: The Last Paragraph of An Obituary

I've been personally evangelized to by a people of a variety of different faiths. Some are friends who bring up conversion over coffee. Other holler scripture from the corner as I drive my girls home from daycare.

I've listened to or read some of the greatest proselytizers around, regardless of whether I shared their viewpoint. Many of them I've learned lot from, some I have not; although that's probably more my fault than any flaw in the person or their message.

One form of evangelization always has a deep impact on me. It comes at the end of an obituary of someone that I really admire. The simple statement of where the family will be holding the funeral. That statement usually tells me what religion and pastors helped developed that incredible person. I can't imagine a more powerful testament to the organization's message and process.

In my interpretation, Jesus seems to recommend a similar method of choosing between evangelists in Matthew: 15-20.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Just so, every good tree bears good fruit and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.

The good churches will bear good fruits in their parishioners. While their may be outliers, in general the parishioners should be doing their best to "Live as children of the light...[which] produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth." Ephesians: 5:8-9.


Last week I read the obituary of my friend Bill Beaman. Bill was one of my friend's fathers that I got to know while working together to help advocate for better care for returning veterans post traumatic stress injuries. While I did not know him as well as many people, I knew Bill well enough to know that he was an amazing man. He was compassionate and humble with a genuine presence of goodness. His obituary described how the retired colonel faced death "with a soldier's courage and his own personal sense of grace."

I wish that I had better words to describe Bill. But, I can clearly state that it's hard to imagine a better testament to Helena's Saint Peter's Episcopal Church than it helped guide the life and principles of Bill Beaman.


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