As Salt Would Make Them Thirsty: An Apologetics of Word and Character

As a communication scholar in my undergraduate endeavors it never crossed my mind that I would actively seek out apologetics training. Yet, I find myself now beginning the process of pursuing a graduate degree in that field. Since I am about to embark on that journey, I offer an excerpt from a paper I wrote, The Defense of Truth and Dignity: A Christian Approach to Communication Ethics, that is (to my recollection) my first articulation of the need and nuances of apologetics.

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The second principle I want to discuss I call an apologetics of word and character. It is laid out in the following verse: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15, NIV). First, we are always to have an answer. This is most definitely where we can employ our arsenal of communication power in defense of our hope. It is not that every Christian needs to be able to argue every truth of Christian doctrine, but they "should be well acquainted with the ground and foundation of the Christian religion . . . therefore it becomes them daily and diligently to search the Scriptures, meditate on them, and get all the help and assistance they can, to lead them into an acquaintance with them" (Gill, 1999). Secondly, this ethic is not as burdensome as it may sound at first, since we do not have to go around explaining ourselves to everyone at all times. We are to live our lives in such a distinctly Christian way that makes others curious, just as salt would make them thirsty. And we are to answer those questions that are asked of us; nothing more is required. Dr. Daniel Taylor, professor and author of The Healing Power of Stories, talks about sharing the gospel in terms of telling a story. He says, "In some ways The Story doesn't need defending, it needs living. And we are sometimes so busy defending it that we don't put all our energy into living it. If we live it well, it is so powerful that people won't even require that intellectual defense of the gospel. They'll be too drawn to it" (Allen, 2002). This is what I mean by an apologetic of character. When we defend our faith, we are called to do it with gentleness and respect. Gentleness "is best translated 'meekness,' not as an indication of weakness, but of power and strength under control. The person who possesses this quality pardons injuries, corrects faults, and rules his own spirit well" (Hayford, 1995). Some Christians may be acquainted well enough with Scripture that they can prove any doctrine and refute any objection, but it is humility, not haughtiness, that wins a hearing. Taylor comments on this crucial ethic of apologetics:

"Built into the ethics of storytelling is
both a teller and a listener which forms a
kind of community. Often we only listen to
the stories of the secular world with an ear
to finding out flaws, often missing the
heartache or the reaching out or the good
that is there. We listen to find out where
is the place that I can attack. That is an
immoral way of listening. And we don't
listen only to "know the enemy", which is
one rationale often given for knowing about
culture. We listen because they are human
beings made in the image of God who have
things to tell us that we need to know and
will be better for hearing. And at the same
time listening to their stories will help us
form relationships with them at some
point"(Allen, 2002).

Along with gentleness is the ethic of "respect," which one biblical commentator remarked as being "due respect towards man, and reverence towards God" (Fausset, 1871). It is that and more. In fact, most translations render this word as "fear," which more precisely expresses the idea not just of respect for one's hearers and for the God whose story one is sharing, but also of the gravity of what is taking place. When people defend the gospel, they are bearing witness to the ultimate reality of God's love as revealed in His Word. What is at stake is not merely an accurate account of the truth, but the sowing of that truth as a seed in the soil of souls. Apologetics is not a weapon to be used for the sake of sport. "One reason the gospel is not heard or people don't want to hear it is because the image of Christians is that they are not only self-righteous but arrogant people who know everything and have nothing to learn from anyone outside themselves"(Allen, 2002). On the contrary, apologists must defend truth with a profound reverence for the value of a human being. Philosopher Martin Buber, addressed this issue with his idea of the I-Thou relationship where "we see the other as created in the image of God and resolve to threat him or her as a valued end rather than as a means to our end" (Griffin, 2000). In Buber's view, what happens as we take the time to listen is that those to whom we are listening gain a greater awareness of self and, in the process, are able to catch a clearer glimpse of who they are meant to be. In other words, as we behold a person, we help them to become.

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