This is part 10 of a series of posts that interact with Guy Kawasaki's 10 principles of "evangelism." Refer to my February 22, 2006 post for the set up.

Principle 10:

Remember your friends. Be nice to the people on the way up because one is likely to see them again on the way down. Once an evangelist has achieved success, he shouldn't think that he'll never need those folks again…

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not think you are superior.” Romans 12:14-16 TNIV

“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. We should all please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: 'The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.' For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." Romans 15:1-7 TNIV.

I choose to end this series on a few very simple readings from Romans. Chapter 12:14-16 is a very direct confirmation of what Kawasaki is saying in his last point of the 10. Romans 15 points this idea in a very specific missional direction, to “please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.”

I’ve been thinking about this a great deal lately, spurred on by the most recent teachings at our church. It makes me remember the time when Sinead O’Connor performed on SNL (in the 90s) and finished her tune by holding up a picture of Pope John Paul II and tearing it in two, saying, “Fight the real enemy.” Sinead had the wrong picture, but the right idea. We are to fight the real enemy, and our fellow human beings are not it.

Too often we have these pictures of apparent human “enemies” we carry in our heads and our hearts that we like to expose and tear to shreds in righteous protest. They are politicians, celebrities, criminals, dead-beat dads, drunk drivers, drug dealers, or even the neighbor next door that you have been feuding with for 20 years.

When we stand up to speak out in indignation and judgment, who is our audience? Are we really railing audibly against the spiritual powers of darkness. Or are we more likely verbally tearing up the pictures of fellow sons of Adam and daughters of Eve that have been co-opted in the great rebellion.

They are not the enemy. They are the prisoners, the kidnapped, the lost ones suffering from a distinctly spiritual Stockholm Syndrome. They are our brothers and sisters gone missing.

They can even be evil, but they are not the enemy.

“Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” Matthew 39-42 TNIV

Jesus instructs us not to attack or retaliate. We are not the avengers. Instead, we are to join a rescue mission. We are to be a posse of compassion—vigilantes of love (with my apologies to Bill Malonee).

I like that idea: the vigilante justice of love and mercy riding out to fight the real enemy.

These very works become the guns and ammo of the spiritual war. While you are physically ministering to another human, you are dealing damaging blows to the real enemy.

It can be overlooked how Paul recalls the Proverb in Romans 12:20 for the New Covenant: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” TNIV

The burning coals reference is, of course, metaphorical. I’ve never seen third-degree burns on someone’s head caused by aggressive compassion ministry. But I don’t think it is incorrect to infer that the physical metaphor has a very real spiritual dimension. Burning coals connote warfare, as we read in Psalm 11:6 (and many other places), and purification, as in Luke 3:17. John the Baptist makes a direct link to the spiritual impact of our acts of compassion prior to verse 17:

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

"What should we do then?" the crowd asked.

John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” Luke 3:7-11 TNIV

We should consider social justice, love and compassion as primary spiritual weapons in our arsenal—on the same level as prayer and worship. They are not merely some add-on to our lives and church communities designed to make Christianity more attractive and generate good PR. They are not nice-to-haves that are less important than evangelism, but rather an integral component of our mission constituting the spiritual ground breaking that must occur before planting and harvesting (I apologize for the mixed metaphors).

Are we clear on our mission? Are we are clear on the means. Are we clear on whom we are evangelizing? Do we know who the enemy is? And do we know how to fight this enemy? These are the essential questions that have engaged me as I have written this series. I think I’m starting to sort out some good answers—at least for me and my life. I hope this has been helpful for anyone else that has taken the time to read it all. I’ll be moving the entire series to the serial posts page section soon.

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