Did Your Mother tell you never to speak to strangers ? Mine did With the world the way it is, that was sound advice for us when we were children and without mature judgment.
Now, we in Christadelphian Bible Mission (CBM) work not only talk to dozens of strangers a day, we go right into their homes with them; take a turn around the garden, pet the family dog or cat, go down into the cellar and have a look at the latest invention in the work-shop, exchange recipes with the lady of the house, admire the neat stitches in her embroidery, look at the pictures from the family album —And stay on for a serious talk about the most wonderful thing in the world, the Truth as it is in Jesus.
Aren’t you afraid to go ? Not at all We are invited to come and so we do Here’s a typical invitation Please send
me the Gospel Message I need help I want to know what the Bible is Really about Would you answer as soon as you can? And there s the clue— “Send me the Gospel Message For we visit by mail We talk to strangers on paper We go into their homes by envelope And they take us around and introduce us to the family and show us their homes and hobbies by letter, too.
Correspondence is just one phase of Christadelphian Bible Missionary work—but what an interesting phase ‘ What a challenge it is to take a simple postcard with a few words on it and from it create an understanding a fellow feeling, with strangers—until you can no longer call them that, but real friends—and perhaps, eventually if it be His Will, brethren and sisters.
You could not call this New work, exactly, I m sure Paul did something like it in his day, as did some of the brethren in the early years of the Christadelphians But to those of us who have not been doing it for so very long, it seems tremendously promising.
It begins with deciding where to advertise — looking for that fertile field Then provocative ads, form letters and application blanks must be written which will appeal to the right eyes (with the Lord’s help) Fortunately, most of of this ground-work has been done for us already Though we must always be on the lookout for new ideas, we can safely fall back on the work of the brethren who are doing the CBM work now in the USA and else where And we re ever indebted to the brethren who have written all the pamphlets, leaflets, books, courses — works which we could not begin to duplicate or do without The Time they save us.1
So that which is left for us to do with our differing personalities is that delicate and challenging part — the turning of commonplace postcard notes into warm confidences How is this done? There s only One way to do it—by giving of ones’ self to each letter You know yourself how ‘you make and keep friends, you talk to them about the things which interest them! So it is with Missionary Correspondence.
Imagine yourself doing such work You d soon get over any reticence, learning to talk to the stranger First If there is some small clue in their card or note to give it individuality, you must find it Work on it.
Talk about the weather, if you have to, but bring in something about the weather in Their part of the country Tell about your pet cat being lost for 8 whole days, and you’ll hear about their kitten with double paws or the one which catches mice for the neighbors but spares the ones in his own house, or about the dog who s on a diet, he s so butter ball fat.
Tell about the water in the cellar and hear the philosophy of a correspondent who lives on a hillside and watches the water come in one side of the cellar and go out the other If a man hints that he’s some what of a handy Andy , pursue the issue and you’ll find out about the cherished carburetor breather device which might revolutionize Detroit.
Or talk about Junior s mumps and Dad’s metal poisoning, and your new friends will tell you about their ills KB has neuritis in the cold weather Mrs LT has a heart condition BW has just had a spinal fusion SL just got out of the hospital Knowing these things we can lay a cool hand, figuratively, on their foreheads and Listen and Wait our turn to tell about the time when there will be No illnesses — no famine, no tears, no fear of the unknown.
All these little nuggets of information are stepping stones to a thousand other questions and comments on Bible subjects.
Come along, then, all of You who have Found the Truth Come visit with us in a few of the homes where people are still seeking.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One