A way to generate story opportunities

Wear or carry something that leads to story opportunities – a T-shirt, something attached to your mobile phone, a’ hat ‘

I wear a necklace with the Chinese character for ‘righteousness.’ This is an unusual character to wear and I chose it because others, such as ‘love,’ are commonly worn by nonbelievers and wouldn’t garner much attention. I hoped people would ask me why I wore that character, especially when they realized it was not linked with my Chinese name.

One day I had a meal with a traditional Chinese family at a restaurant. I was seated opposite two women in their twenties at a long table. The younger one asked me why that character was on my necklace. I asked her what she thought the word meant and then told her it was linked to the stories I tell. However, I warned her that a thorough answer would require me to tell a long series of stories because the answer was contained in stories four, five, six and thirteen. I promised to not tell them in their entirety. Intrigued, the girl and her sister listened to the whole basic set. I drew several pictures on my paper place mat. They became animated as they worked out the significance of why Jesus was crucified on Passover and why the temple curtain ripped at his death.
On another occasion I cleared customs too early at the airport and so had to fill in time. I wandered through some of the duty free shops and a lady at the jewelry counter inquired about my necklace. She and another sales associate listened to my first two stories, then I explained about the lamb and bridged into how Jesus was the lamb who came to “take away the sins of the world” (Jn 1:29). I left them with a small portion of scripture, Genesis 1-4. For my next flight I again arrived early, hoping to follow up. I discovered that these women had told two others, a man and a woman, and they’d all read the Scripture portion. I now have to turn up early each time I fly as there are five people who’ve heard stories up to the exodus and are waiting to hear more.

Adapted from ‘Telling the Gospel Through Story’

This character is made up of two parts “Me” on the bottom and “Lamb”above, so we are made right with God when we accept the Lamb over us as a protection from God’s judgement.