6min chapter

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Episode 3: People Matter with Andrew Cross

Young Adults TN (YA Podcast)

CHAPTER

Connecting with people who are different and prioritizing relationships over differences

Exploring the challenge of connecting with people who are different from oneself and the importance of approaching these conversations with kindness and gentleness, while highlighting tips on building relationships and bridging gaps of difference.

00:00
Speaker 3
Yeah, it's good. Do you have any tips for connecting with people who are just not like you, who are different? I mean, we're called to go to all nations and they're that means, you know, ethnically, there's going to be people who have different backgrounds. They come from different cultures that we may just not understand, but we're supposed to connect with them and share the gospel with them. Or we see a gap in cultural values that are becoming, you know, just very magnified in almost like a culture war in our nation right now, where it's just the Braves, you like the Cardinals, you know, it's just a chasm. That's right. Fend them. That's right. Yeah. And but how do you, what tips would you give on like bridging that gap of difference because if people do matter and relationships matter, then part of that is just sitting in those uncomfortable situations sometimes and saying like, I don't, I don't necessarily agree with your worldview, but I love you enough to try to understand it or try to understand you. What are some
Speaker 1
tips you'd given that and goodness gracious, that's a great question. Right. I just immediately think of first Peter three, 15, right? He's be ready to give a defense for the hope that is in you. And then he goes on to talk about, man, that's with kindness and gentleness, right? Like that's got to be our tone. Man, we can know the truth. And if we tell the truth that is detached from love, man, we're a noisy gong. That's right. We're just a clanging symbol. And so man, that's what makes that. I want to take the approach that is gentle and kind even to differing views, those who oppose maybe even what I stand for. I want to enter in and lean in on what man, what their worldview is, what, what, how would they explain things and just see, man, is there, is there an opportunity for the gospel to enter into that conversation and try to leverage that? But man, I'm trying to think, you know, how to best answer that question of just
Speaker 2
tips. If
Speaker 1
let's say it's not something that's going to compromise the gospel, I want to do what Paul writes about in first Corinthians. And I want to put aside anything that may be a stumbling block to the gospel. And I kind of want to engage in some things that they, they're excited about. So for instance, when I was coming to first Baptist Murray, one of the questions I was asked in the interview process was, are you a sports fan? I was like, it depends on who I'm ministering to. Like, you know, like, are you a Murray state fan? I was like, I
Speaker 3
will be like,
Speaker 1
that's what it takes. That's what it takes. Like, I, and you know, I was a Tigers fan when I was in Memphis, grizzly span, when I'm in Memphis, like, I'm going to love the things that kind of people kind of engage with just to show like, man, I'm on the same team as you. I care about the things you care about. And I want to leverage all of that for the sake of the gospel, not to just love these things and let them become idols that weigh me down. Now, I'm going to entertain these things just to build a relationship that may be kind of just loosely tied to something of, you know, common interest. And I'm going to leverage that for the gospel. Uh, you mentioned all things to all people. Like, yeah, that's, that's what kind of what we're called to be. And so I don't want to take up my preferences and the things that I'm really excited about. I want to, man, I want to sacrifice those things for the sake of, of the gospel and just entering into a space where I just come as a, as a humble student looking to be gentle and kind and speak the truth and love and, and help people see the man. Jesus is worthy to give their lives to. So they would surrender anything that is just kind of commonplace for the things that are ultimate and eternal and spiritual.
Speaker 2
One thing I love and I'm going to give him credit for it because it's his saying, my friend Carlos Whitaker, he says, I don't stand on issues. I walk with people. And what he's saying basically is, you know, there's, there's a litany of things that can divide people. And especially we see that in our world now we've seen that over the last few years as we have gone through a global pandemic and all these things. And, you know, a lot of times I feel like, you know, we can really get caught up in being right. And what I've learned over the last three years, really five years is how overrated being right is. Even, even on, even in my faith, you know, I know we, we, we know, we all know that we have the truth about Jesus and who he is and what he's done. And we will never move from that because that is the unquestioned truth. However, I've learned that when I'm wanting to connect with people, I don't have to, and this is something that I'm sure we'll get into down the road. But being in a situation where I'm not trying to beat people over the head with what I believe or beat people over the head with my faith, but trying to connect with people through relationship to be able to say, Hey, this is where you are. And I want to meet you where you are so that I can present this truth that I have that is life changing. And I think even whether it was through, you know, you know, political differences, you know, fake differences, racial divides, all the things that can divide us. I think the important thing is to prioritize like Andrew is saying, prioritizing people versus things, you know, these things that ultimately in the grand scheme of things doesn't hold much significance that you'll find over time you'll realize like, man, that thing
Speaker 3
really didn't matter as much as I thought I did, you know.

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