On the Sidewalk or in the Bookstore: Some Thoughts on Speaking Up

I saw my neighbor while visiting a bookstore. He mentioned a particular novel he likes that portrays some Christians negatively. “I’m a Christian,” I reminded him. He said, “I know,” and thinks more Christians should speak up to change his opinion of them.

His point of view, I’m gathering, derives partly from people plucking verses out of context, depicting a narrative that misrepresents God.

My neighbor told me more Christians should speak up.

It’s easy to mention a favorite book and to describe a really good restaurant or vacation spot. It feels harder to talk about personal beliefs.

Perhaps you grasp the Bible as a whole story. You believe the triune God created the world from an overflow of love. You lament that fellowship with God was disrupted by human rebellion, and you rejoice that Jesus’s rescue provided a way back to God’s overflowing love. Is this the narrative you’re sharing with others?

The narrative is that the Creator of the universe has visited us and changed our status from enemies of God to friends of God. Christians have been vocal about this since Jesus’s resurrection.

We know it to be life-giving, while some of our neighbors don’t yet know.

Also, it’s a beautiful narrative.

And beauty enthralls. Last month I wrote about visiting the Gulf and experiencing underwater sea life. It was a vacation to remember. In summertime, our newsfeeds are full of vacationers in beautiful places.

When we experience a seascape or a mountaintop, we see the grandness of Christ, through whom all things were made (John 1:3).

About Christ Jesus, Hebrews 1:3 says, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe” (ESV).

Is that how you picture Jesus, or has culture presented a languishing image?

Jesus, presented in Scripture as both a person and fully God, is who we are to make much of, who we as Christians worship. It’s a reality that people in history gathered to preserve at the Council of Nicaea—seventeen-hundred years ago—establishing the Nicene Creed.

“The radiance of the glory of God is the beauty of the person of Christ,” says author Jonathan Dodson. * Just as we gush about our vacations, we gush about the beauty of Christ, and his life-giving gospel prompts us to tell others.

My neighbor told me more Christians should speak up, and we might start by fixating on the radiance of Christ Jesus as seen in the narrative of the entire Bible.

Before you speak up, consider what Lindsey Medenwaldt, author of Bridge-Building Apologetics says: “If your own foundation is unstable or shaky, it will be difficult to help build a strong foundation for someone else.” **

So, here are a few questions to ask yourself: Do you actively read the Bible? Do you daily worship God? Do you regularly and authentically pray? Do you meet with other believers in a local church where Christ is treasured?

These are important questions because you want to accurately represent the Creator of the universe. Do you value Jesus and Scripture? It’s wise to assess if your words and actions align.

Reflecting also means sitting in the quiet, asking God through the Holy Spirit to illuminate himself as you read the Bible. Worshipful prayer diverts your affections, challenges your opinions.

Let’s imagine you're in a bookstore and you overhear me and my neighbor conversing about God and the narrative of Scripture. If my disposition and attitude imitate Jesus, if my tone is loving and considerate, then my words sound credible as I describe Jesus as loving, his invitation life-giving.

When you pass your neighbor on the sidewalk or in the bookstore, reflect the God who loves people. Be fixated on Jesus who is beauty and life. Be enthralled, immersed in the narrative, and do speak up.

*Witness by Jonathan Dodson, The Good Book Company, 2025, page 21.

**Bridge-Building Apologetics by Lindsey Medenwaldt, Harvest House Publishers, 2024, page 139.

To receive new monthly blog posts, sign up here.

(Photo on Unsplash by Richard Stachmann, Budapest, Hungary)