I was privileged to witness a baptism service last Sunday. There were five baptismal candidates. The oldest was 61, the youngest 24. One spoke in Chinese, the rest in English. There were three men and two women. One was a limousine driver, one an undergraduate, one a banker, and two were homemakers. There were three races represented. All shared their testimonies and made their professions of faith in Jesus as Saviour and Lord and went through the waters of baptism.
I was deeply moved by what I witnessed. I was struck by how different those being baptised were. But they were united in one main conviction, that they were lost, and they needed to follow Jesus to be saved. We need to be reminded of this. Every day the media yells at us that salvation will not come from armies, governments, or government leaders. While all these may have a role in a fallen world, they hold no promise for a radical change in the lot of humankind. Any lasting salvation can only come from God through the gospel of Jesus Christ. (Acts 4:12)
I had brief chats with most of those baptised and what struck me was their humility. That felt right. People who have realised their plight and have been touched by the grace of God would exhibit humility.
One of those baptised apologised that his testimony wasn’t dramatic. He had grown up in a Christian family, but he had been led to a public confession of faith through a growing sense of gratitude for what the Lord had given him. I tried to reassure him that his faith story was no less valid than those whose conversion experiences were more dramatic.
I am concerned that the conversion stories featured in the Christian media tend to focus on the sensational, e.g. miraculous healings, saved from drug addiction, etc. While I am glad that such stories are shared, if these are the only stories shared, I fear that those whose stories are less dramatic would feel that their conversion stories are less valid. This is wrong. Every conversion is a miracle.
One of the baptismal stories that day was special. The person could trace his faith journey to when he was in Junior College, when a teacher had invited him to a church service. This was 32 years ago. The teacher was also present to witness the baptism. So much joy all round!
It was also a timely reminder of the impact of Christian teachers. There is fresh burden for evangelism today. This is right. But let us not equate fervour for evangelism with aggressive hard-sell approaches to reach the lost. A caring teacher helped point a student towards Christ, a seed planted that bore fruit years later. We need to be caring communities that point people to Christ with our love and our message.
Last Sunday was special.