… always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).
Last week, Lula and I were near Helsinki, Finland, attending our annual retreat of LCMS missionaries in Eurasia. Finns are very friendly, yet also quite reserved. As such, they usually disdain small talk.
And so, you can imagine our surprise when, one evening on the patio, a Finnish couple struck up a conversation with us. They wanted to know where we are from. I said that we are Lutheran missionaries from the U.S., working with Iranians and Afghans in Germany. “Missionaries… that’s interesting,” he said.
After more small talk about the weather in Finland and, of course, saunas (a sacrosanct national pastime), the gentleman remarked, “Keep up the good work as a missionary…”
He then shared that he started reading the Bible a while back and is now reading “Samuel.” “Wow!” I replied. “Reading the Bible from cover to cover is not easy. And you made it through Leviticus!” We all laughed. I suggested that if he finds the Old Testament too arcane, he might try adding one chapter of the New Testament every day. “That way you get Jesus, the main point of the Bible, right up front.”
“Mikko” appreciated my advice, commenting that he was raised Lutheran, but only now is gradually understanding what it means to be a Christian. “What does it mean?” I asked. “Well,” he thought for a second, “that we are sinners, but that Jesus Christ came down to earth to pay the price for our sins and to grant forgiveness of sins and eternal life to all who believe in Him.”
“That’s an excellent summary,” I offered. We had to go and so I gave him my card. “Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions about Christianity.”
Actually, he did have some questions…when I ran into him half an hour later in the sauna.
The Tiews in Germany 