Evangelizing – What is it, and How Can We Evangelize?

We Catholic/Christians are called to “evangelize.” But for me, the word, evangelize, has always been intimidating.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says that the word, evangelize, is a verb that means “to preach the gospel to” or “to convert to Christianity.” But in Evangelii Nuntiandi (par. 18) St. Pope Paul VI said that, “Evangelizing means to bring the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new.”

So, really, evangelizing just means sharing the Good News of salvation.

Are we called to Evangelize?

Does the Bible call on us to Evangelize? It sure does, and here are two short examples.  Matthew 4:19 says, [Jesus] said to them again, come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And in John 20:21, it says, “Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

Pope Francis in his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium,  published in 2013, also said (in the Prologue, Section III, paragraph 14), that the 2012 Synod of Bishops reaffirmed that the new evangelization is a summons to all the faithful.  He also noted that it is to be carried out “in three principal settings.” The three settings are 1) ordinary pastoral ministry (to inflame the hearts of the faithful); 2) outreach to “the baptized whose lives do not reflect the demands of Baptism;” and 3) “evangelization to those who do not know Jesus Christ or who have always rejected him.^“

So we do have a duty to evangelize.  The trick is figuring out how we can evangelize.

Finding a Way

Until a few years ago, when I thought of Evangelizers, I envisioned people such as Billy Graham speaking to a stadium filled with thousands of people or Venerable Fulton Sheen teaching class on television so many years ago. I even thought of Burt Lancaster playing the character of Elmer Gantry, in the movie of the same name, reigning down “fire and brimstone” inside a tent filled with a captive audience.  And even to this very day, we have street preachers praising Jesus and doing their best to convert unbelievers. But, as for me, I have never been able to do any of this.

Do not get me wrong. I have never backed away from a discussion about my faith. If I was in a group or among friends and my Catholic faith was challenged or ridiculed, I would not be quiet. On the contrary, I would defend it the best I could. But I was never one to initiate a conversation.

I can still remember my dad telling me, “Never get into a discussion about religion or politics. You can never win.” Well, my dad was wrong. I finally found a way to evangelize.  And, I want to share it with you.

Be ready for the moment

The first thing I have come to understand is that the “evangelizing” business can simply begin as a “one-on-one” interaction.  Since we are all called to evangelize, we have to be ready for “the moment.”  Okay, what does that mean?

First of all, “the moment” to evangelize is hard to plan. The fact is, the moment can spring up at the most unexpected times or in the strangest of places. You just have to be ready.

At the Supermarket

Here is one example. The following happened to me while in line at a supermarket.

There was a young lady in front of me, and she had a child sitting in her cart. The cashier was shaking her head and returning the woman’s debit card to her. The lady slid it back into the scanner. Again it was rejected. A tear ran down the woman’s face. Her child, sensing her mom’s distress, also began to cry. Is this an unexpected moment for “evangelizing?” Why not?

The first thing you have to do to be an effective evangelist is to smile at people you do not know. I had already smiled at both the woman and her child.  Even if she did not want to make a new friend, she saw me smile.

I noticed that her grocery cart had about $30 worth of groceries in it. My moment to begin evangelizing had arrived.  I took out my debit card and asked the cashier to put the woman’s charge on my card (I do not do this very often).

What do you think might happen in such a scenario?  Here are a few examples from personal experience.

a) The lady tells you, “Please mind your own business.”
b) The lady tells you, “No, thank you,” lifts the child from the cart and leaves the store.
c) The lady gives you a dirty look and says, “That’s not necessary I have the cash right here.”
d) The lady says, “Thank you,” and accepts your offer.
e) A few expletives might be thrown your way. (You never know.)

Paying it Forward

In this case, I was dealing with d). I helped her save face by saying, “Look, I’m paying it forward.  One of these days, you do something for someone else. That’s all there is to it.”

The lady gave me a final “thank you” and began to leave. I called after her, “Ma’am, can you wait one second. I have something for you.”

She stopped and waited while I checked out.  My moment had finally arrived. I walked over to her and said, “I was wondering. Do you have Jesus in your life?”

Having thrown it out there, all I could do then was to wait.  She sighed and looked at me.  I sensed her nervousness, so I quickly said, “No problem, it’s okay.  I just wanted to give you this.”

Choose a primary tool

I have discovered that evangelists need a primary tool in their evangelizing kit. Many evangelists seem to have a Bible in their hand. Not me. I have a cross, a small cross. You cannot see it because it is in my pocket.  It is 1.5 x 2.5 inches in size and it is made of Olive Wood from the Holy Land.  The crosses I carry are also blessed by a priest from my parish.

I did not invent this idea.  I found these crosses online. They are called Comfort Crosses or Caring Crosses. And they have turned me into a quiet evangelizer. I love them.  (Just do a search or Google “Comfort Crosses” or “Caring Crosses.”  There are many sources for them.  For instance, you can purchase 25 Crosses for $35.95 from one seller at Amazon.)

I reached into my pocket, and I pulled out a Comfort Cross.  I held it up between my thumb and forefinger and began to explain to her what it was. She just looked at me, but I could not get a feel for what she was thinking.  I said to her, “Jesus loves you, and this Cross will keep you close to Him.”

She pursed her lips and I knew it was time to finish what I started.  I said to her, “Carry it with you in your pocket or purse. Take it to bed with you. Just always keep it close to you. Squeeze it and tell Jesus you love Him. Trust me, you will feel His love returning to you.”

This turned out to be a GOOD moment. A tear rolled down her cheek, and she blurted out, “You have no idea what this means to me. Thank you, thank you.”

The young lady took the Cross and, through her tears, smiled. She left the store and I so did I.

Stay Ready

I certainly am no Billy Graham or Venerable Fulton Sheen. But the moments for me to be a one-on-one evangelizer pop up in the strangest places – supermarkets, gas stations, convenient stores, auto repair shops, doctor’s offices, hospital lobbies, McDonald’s, and even Walmart.  I have handed out my comfort crosses in all of those places.

Of course, many of my attempts are not appreciated.  And that’s okay. At least I gave it a shot. I figure they threw rocks at Jesus and look what He did for me.  The least I can do is to try.

A Post Script

Almost a year later, I was in the same supermarket that I mentioned above.  A lady came up to me and said, “Oh my God, it’s you. I can’t believe it. Remember me?”

I was almost sure I did, but I was not positive. She said,” I’m the person you gave the Comfort Cross to, and you “paid it forward” for me. Remember?”

I sure did remember. “Yes, of course,” I said, “how are you?”

She replied, “I have been back to this store four or five times hoping to see you. And finally, here you are. I cannot believe I found you.”

At this point I’m thinking to myself, okay, what does she want?  So I said, “Wow, I can’t believe it either. So why were you looking for me?”

“Well, I loved the Cross you gave me and carried it everywhere. And then I lost it, and I miss it so much.  I wanted to find you to see if I could get another one.”

Now it was my turn to tear up.  I reached in my pocket and pulled out two crosses. “Here you go. You now have a spare.”

She gave me the biggest hug I could imagine and thanked me again. It was an evangelizing bonus. You never know what to expect when you evangelize.

One final thought. If you want to evangelize you have to be willing to talk to strangers. Once in a grocery store or a doctor’s office, or a lab for blood work, or wherever you may be, the opportunity is usually there. Take a chance – say “Hi” to someone nearby, talk about the weather, or even mention the cold pizza delivered to you. You never know if an “evangelizing moment” is coming your way.

If you are interested in learning more about evangelizing, two additional Catholic Stand articles on evangelizing that you may find helpful are “SPSE Evangelizers Know a Thing or Two About Evangelizing” and “Advice and 8 Practical Tips for Evangelizing.”