We aren’t primarily in the business of selling Bibles - they are the means to an end, and (though it might be part of our strategy for distribution and offsetting some of the costs), we’re really in the business of offering something worth way more than the price of a Bible. We offer hope, healing, assurance of dignity and status in the eyes of God. We offer forgiveness (sometimes before people realise they need it), we offer comfort, and adventure and purpose. We offer friendship, and if we’re honest about it we say that what we offer may come with persecution and hardship. We offer protection from evil spirits, earthly powers and a promise of eternal life to come. We offer the ability to reduce our feelings of hatred towards others, to become people who don’t seek vengence, people who love one another and who even love our enemies. We offer something amazing, relationship with the living, loving God. Parts of this sound like something a lot of people want ...and part of it sounds a bit weird and even wrong. A people who don’t seek vengence? Who love our enemies? Who claim to know and be known by God? Sometimes we can start with news of the big things we offer, sometimes we need to start somewhere else. Sometime we need to start by offering friendship, ...and listening to what people what.
