Changes to Evangelization (Fears)

Starting off this series on evangelization, I compared evangelizing for Christ like evangelizing for a favorite TV show or hobby: It's something we share out of our own love for the topic, and a desire to have others share in that love. But obviously religious evangelization is much, much different than any other form of evangelization, first because the stakes are so high, and second because no one (at least, no one sensible) gets mad because you love watching The Office. Religion has joined politics as a topic that inflames and divides, rather than unites, and thus bringing up matters of faith is far more complicated than it would have been even 30 years ago.

Much of this change comes from a variety of generational and demographic trends, trends that were described in detail at our parish's first Catherine of Siena Institute session in September. (The second session is this coming weekend! There's still time to join!) But before I spend the rest of the month exploring the challenges we face in and the fears we often have of evangelization, I repeat the point: Sharing the Gospel is an act of love. It is an act of love for God, as we witness to His goodness; it is also an act of love for those we evangelize, as we help them experience the truth of God's goodness. So whenever we evangelize, we must begin from a stance of love. And perfect love casts out all fear.

Challenge: If every act of evangelization is an act of love, what does that tell us about how we are called to treat those around us? Does our witness reflect our love for others?