Have you ever tried to cross a bridge that was built only on one side? Yeah, me neither.
There are two sides to every communication bridge. While establishing an intimate relationship with Jesus, Christians also need to be committed to truly connecting with our friends who we wish to communicate with. In connecting with them, we also need to stop talking long enough to discover what their spiritual needs are.
How can we help to meet the needs of those we want to communicate with? Will they find the answer by receiving more information about Jesus? The answer to this is a definite “no.” How many of us have made life-altering spiritual commitments based on information alone? A person’s curiosity about Jesus might be piqued by acquiring more knowledge about Him, but a serious commitment to following Him originates from that person’s felt needs being met.
In order for a person to leave the comfort of their existing spiritual beliefs, they need to be able to address their fears, questions, and past hurt with mercy and understanding on our part. All Christians have been there too - we understand the way such a leap of faith can shake our equilibrium as humans. People need to know that they are taking that leap with someone alongside them who has taken the time to know their struggle.
Our story of how we met Jesus is at the heart of it all. The story of how He met our deepest spiritual needs can show people how He can meet theirs as well. He is the only deity known to man who has lived our pain and accepts us with unconditional mercy. The story of our lives is the greatest way across the bridge.
*Many of these insights come from Communication Theory for Christian Witness by Charles Kraft.