The real force of evangelisation is not us but the Holy Spirit. And it isn’t our job to convert people. This is something I think we are more aware of now in the 21st century. When Jesus says to go make disciples of all nations and baptise them (Mt 28:19), there are deep levels of meaning in that. To evangelise does not mean to convert necessarily, because that is really the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit who converts us, who works in us. What we can do is to create the conditions – to create loving and warm communities that welcome people, and above all that can witness to the Good News and its effect upon our own lives in a way that engages and attracts others. So one Christian should never condemn another for their way of sharing the Good News although sometimes it’s hard not to shiver at what you hear.
Christian Life in the Light of Christian Meditation 2: Holyness by Laurence Freeman OSB
