From the Barber’s Chair
1 Thessalonians 2:7–8 — But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
One of the people I’ve had the privilege of baptizing used to cut my hair. When Carmelo learned I was a pastor, he asked questions. Our ordinary conversations gradually opened into spiritual ones. Difficult things in his life gave us more to talk about, and I invited him to church. Those different openings became part of a relationship through which I had opportunities to speak about Jesus. When I baptized him last year, I thought back to those earlier conversations in the barber’s chair from 6+ years ago. Someone I had known through an ordinary routine was now my brother in Christ. We share the same Savior, the same forgiveness, and the same place in God’s family.
Paul’s words to the Thessalonians help us see the affection that belongs within that kind of gospel work. He remembers caring for them with the gentleness of a nursing mother. They became dear to him, so he shared his life along with the gospel. He wasn’t emotionally detached from the people hearing his message. Their welfare mattered to him. Genuine affection didn’t make speaking about Jesus unnecessary. Paul loved these people enough to tell them what God had done for them through His Son. His care gave expression to the grace he proclaimed.
That combination is worth considering. We can maintain friendly relationships indefinitely while avoiding any mention of the hope that matters most to us. We can also become so intent on having a spiritual conversation that we stop enjoying the person who is sitting in front of us. Those conversations with my barber helped me understand something about being a Winsome Witness. I could listen to what was happening in his life, answer questions, share my story of how Jesus rescued me, and invite him to hear more. I didn’t have to force everything into one conversation, but I did need to be willing to speak about Jesus.
The good news gave us something worth talking about. Christ had entered our world, carried our sin to the cross, and risen from the dead. Neither of us could make himself acceptable to God and both of us needed the life He freely gives. Remembering our shared need keeps us from approaching someone as though we stand above them. We’re recipients of mercy inviting another person to receive it too. As I’ve heard it said before, I’m just one beggar telling other beggars where the feast is. If they come to faith, we get to share in that that feast together!
Perhaps someone in your ordinary routine has begun asking questions. Perhaps you already know something of their disappointments or hopes. You can care about those things, and you can ask whether they would be willing to talk about faith. I’m grateful God allowed conversations in that barber chair to become part of another person’s story. I’m even more grateful that the man who once cut my hair is now someone with whom I share life in Christ.
Head: Christian witness joins the clear message of Christ with genuine affection for the people hearing it.
Heart: Am I avoiding speaking about Jesus, or becoming so focused on speaking that I have stopped listening?
Hands: Follow up with someone you already know. Ask about something they’ve shared, and, if the conversation opens naturally, share the difference Jesus has made in your life.
Prayer: “Lord Jesus, thank You for bringing people into my life who cared enough to speak about You. Deepen my affection for the people I meet in everyday places. Give me courage to explain Your good news and let them encounter Your kindness through the way I share both my faith and my life. Amen.”
-PK