Unchurched Interview #1

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I interviewed my best friend from back home. She is a person that I have always had a spiritual burden for. When I approached her with the request of an interview, I explained that it was for a class to help practice various social skills and such. (I’ve learned through different relationships with unbelievers that, alot of times, we need to approach “spiritual” topics in a very simple, gentle way.) As I began with the first question, I could sense reserve in her voice. First of all, she isn’t a very secure person, so, she tends to think her thoughts are not valid. But, I assured her that no answer was any better or worse than the next and that I just wanted her to be open and honest with her thoughts. Some of her answers surprised me: When asked about the greatest need in her area, she answered, “I believe we need less focus on materialism and working and focus more on family and relationships.” When asked the question, “Why do you think most people do not attend church today?” she became a little bit defensive. She feels as though Christians have a tendency to be pushy in their beliefs, and a bit too judgmental. I can see where she is coming from because I have seen her experience this several times as we were growing up. It breaks my heart, but I was able to share with her about how God created us for relationship above all other things. Living a sinless life and attending church faithfully are things that we strive for after we choose to walk according to His will. I could feel that she was very receptive to this, which was wonderful! She hasn’t yet made the decision to give her life to Him but, I’m praying and believing that someday she will.
This interview was a great open door to pick her brain and to initiate good conversation. Something I’m in the process of learning is that we need to be sensitive and discerning when talking to people who don’t understand the Christian faith.