The Inquisitive Pursuer

by Fr. John Parks  |  05/26/2024  |  Weekly Reflection

Recently, I attended a gathering of mostly Protestant pastors and ministry leaders (I was one of two Catholics in the room) to talk about the “evangelization temperature” of the city, i.e. how we are doing in proclaiming the Gospel to Phoenix and the surrounding cities. During the event, we heard a few speakers explore the theme of evangelization from various angles. One idea that I found inspired was a practice the first speaker said she did at her Church in Florida.

Before I tell you the idea, I want to look at the two facets of life and ministry of Jesus that I think is resolved by this inspired idea… The first aspect, we have a moral obligation as followers of Jesus to proclaim the Gospel, i.e. to tell others about who Jesus is, what He has done for us, and invite others to make Him the center of their lives. Take only Mark’s Gospel for example, the first thing Jesus says is, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” The word Gospel is the old English word for “good news.” So, in the first sentence Jesus speaks in Mark’s Gospel is to believe in the Gospel. One of the last things Jesus says in Mark’s Gospel is, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation (Mark 16:15).” Again, the clear emphasis on the necessity of preaching the “good news” or the “Gospel”. These are only two examples of this theme throughout all four Gospels(and the rest of the New Testament). It is clear, we have a necessity put upon us by Jesus to proclaim the Gospel.

The second aspect, when I look at how Jesus interacted with others, I am continually reminded that he loved to ask questions. Whether he is encountering the woman at the well in John Chapter 4, or the rich young man in Matthew 19, or Nicodemus in John Chapter 3, Jesus often responded to questions, with more questions. When I used to think about becoming a better evangelist, I thought I needed to learn more theology (which has a integral role to play), but what often makes people receptive to the theology is your interest and love in them, revealed by the right question. Great evangelists ask great questions.

Now, to the idea. At this church community in Florida this woman meets for two hours with people who have fallen away from the Church. For the first hour, she listens to their story of why they left. For the second hour, she has an apologetics minded pastor with her and they answer whatever questions they might have. This is an inspiring idea. It combines both Jesus command to preach the Gospel to all people while employing a key facet in how he did it—by asking penetrating questions.