“I’ve served a lot of Christians over the past 10 years, but no one has ever invited me to their home,” said the young Chinese business owner as he accepted an invitation from one of our pastors in the state to eat dinner with his family. The pastor’s heart broke as he thought of his church members eating in the restaurant Sunday after Sunday, but never taking the time to get to know those who were serving them food.
ClampThe young Chinese man, who had a Buddhist background, and his wife ate with the pastor’s family in their home where they got to know one another better. The pastor mentioned that his child’s birthday was coming up and a few days later they were in his driveway again giving a birthday present to their child. He invited the pastor over to play ping pong and showed him how they played in China! After the game, the young man said, “Will you teach me to read English?” The statement shocked the pastor as he thought of foreign missionaries who use the teaching of English as a doorway to share the gospel. The pastor thought, “This man just asked me to lead him to Jesus.”
Almost every community in this state has business owners and workers from other parts of the world – whether it is an ethnic restaurant or a convenience store – who do not know Jesus. They need Christians to talk to them, not about them. You may come in contact with some of these individuals several times each week.
What are their names?
If you can’t answer that question, maybe there are a few people that God wants you to get to know. Maybe God is making it even easier for you to reach the far corners of the earth by bringing them right to your doorstep. Maybe your response to the invitation on Sunday is to engage them in conversation over lunch after the service. They need more than a tract or a nice tip; they need a friend who will love them and introduce them to Jesus. Invite them to your home. Allow their children to play with your children. Listen to their religious heritage. Tell them your story – and Jesus’ story.
Who knows, maybe God will turn your weekly trip to your favorite ethnic restaurant into a world-changing experience. The pastor’s final words to me were, “I am praying for the day when I travel with my new friend to China and sit with him as he leads his family to Jesus!”
– Clamp is evangelism group director for the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Follow Lee on twitter @leeclamp or on his blog at www.leeclamp.com.