Wisdom from a “Religious Fanatic”
Last Sunday, a Facebook friend from New York City wrote on his wall about getting into trouble for preaching the gospel on a bus. A friend of his who I’ll call Bruce (not his real name) tried to discourage him from doing that . I posted a response quoting Jesus’ commandment to “preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15). During an ensuing exchange of emails, Bruce repeatedly labeled me a religious fanatic. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, one definition of fanatic is “a person with an obsessive interest in and enthusiasm for something, esp. an activity.” The fact is everybody gets enthusiastic about someone or something. It’s interesting to note the word enthusiasm originates from a Greek word meaning “possessed by a god” or “inspired.” I pointed out to Bruce that whenever the Yankees win the World Series or the Giants win the Super Bowl, the streets of New York City become crowded with sports fanatics. Many of these fans are not ashamed...