Guest Editorial for Nov. 18
By Don Davidson
Don Davidson, who completed a term as president of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, made these comments during his address to the BGAV annual meeting last week.
In 1954 Billy Graham went to England for a crusade. While there he was invited to visit with the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. He nervously wondered beforehand: What do I talk about with arguably the greatest man of the 20th century? He didn't realize that, over at 10 Downing Street, Churchill was wondering a similar thing: What do I discuss with the famous American evangelist?
When the day arrived, Graham walked into the British leader's office and found him standing at the center of a long conference table, fingering an unlit cigar. Churchill said, “I am an old man, without any hope for the world. What hope do you have for the world, young man?” And Billy Graham then knew exactly what to talk about. Pulling a New Testament from his coat pocket, he said, “Mr. Prime Minister, my heart is filled with hope today.” And he shared with him the gospel of Jesus Christ.
My heart is filled with hope today, too. And it is because of Jesus Christ. He is the only hope for our world. “Salvation is found in no one else. There is no other name under heaven, given to men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
I recently talked with a young contractor, a builder of beautiful homes. He told me that he has always wanted to do what he is doing. Even when just a toddler he would drag a hammer (not a plastic one-a real one!) and screwdriver around the house. The kind of kid you'd love to have loose in your church nursery. “Don, I know that I am doing what I was born to do.” There's great joy in that. I can say the same. I believe that my purpose on this planet is to proclaim the gospel and bring people to the Savior.
But that's too big a job to attempt all alone. Or even through just my own church. I need partners. One hundred sixty years ago my church in Danville chose to join hands with the Baptist General Association of Virginia and fellow Baptists around the world. And we are still here.
Virginia Baptists are a diverse group, for sure. But I can tolerate a fair amount of diversity because I know something that maybe you do not know: Virginia Baptists love Jesus and are absolutely committed to being Christ followers. We have a heart for the lost, and “we've a story to tell to the nations.”
I wasn't always so sure about that-but I am now.
Fourteen years ago I was part of the last team to go to Tanzania in our partnership with that African nation. Everywhere I went I saw evidences of the Virginia Baptists who had gone before me: buildings constructed by our skilled laymen, churches established, and people won to Christ and baptized by our pastors. It did my heart good, and proud. Our people do care about the lost.
Every Tuesday for 10 years I sat across a lunch table from fellow local pastors, Lee Ellison, Bruce Wilson and a few others. We'd eat and talk. We became friends. They are identified as “moderates” while I am a self-proclaimed “conservative” but, interestingly, that kind of discussion did not come up much. They love Jesus, too, know the Bible at least as well as I do, and we each have all the same hopes and fears. It occurred to me: if we can get along in this small room, why can't we get along in a large room (like this)?
In recent years I have been in committee meetings in Richmond, often sitting across from Beth Fogg. Now there are things we haven't agreed on, but nothing touching a fundamental of our historic Christian faith. When I would see tears in her eyes as she told us about her children off around the world on mission trips, I knew that we shared a similar heartbeat. And I wondered: if we can look past relatively minor differences in this small room, why can't we do that in this larger room, and state?
Last month I flew across the Atlantic Ocean, strapped into my seat beside an “Arab extremist”- our own Faysal Shariff. I heard his passion and commitment to helping us win Virginia's growing Muslim population to Jesus Christ. And I'm glad to be on the same team with a man like him.
We often hear Amos 3:3 quoted, or misquoted: “Can two men walk together except they be agreed?” The better translation is this: “Can two men walk together unless they agree to do so?” And, obviously, the answer is “No.” But we can walk together if we want to, if we decide to try to do it.
That's how my marriage works, by the way. Audrey and I do not agree on everything, but we do agree on the big things and we are headed in the same direction in life. A little diversity makes my life with her more interesting and richer than it would otherwise be.
But Virginia Baptists: we are agreed! We agree that Jesus is Lord. That His Word is pure and true. That moral values are important and that we must stand up and be counted for righteousness. And that there is a world to reach-starting in your city, or your small town or my county.
I heard about an American businessman visiting India. According to the story, this western businessman observed an Indian man outside his office window, simply squatting beside the road. All day long, for several days, the man did nothing but sit.
This seemed strange to the American and finally he went outside to talk to the man. “Why do you squat out here all day? Have you nothing to do, nowhere to go?” he inquired. The Indian man replied that he, like most others in the nation, was Hindu by religion and that he believed in reincarnation. “I do not like my current life,” he said. “I have decided to sit this life out.”
Well, Christians don't believe that life goes in circles. It goes in a straight line. And this is the one earthly life we have. I am not going to just sit it out. I want to be fully engaged in the most important, consequential task of this or any generation. To advance the Redeemer's kingdom. And I encourage you to get up and do the same! Let's do it together, as partners.
The opinions expressed on this page are offered to help our readers reflect on issues critical in the life of a disciple of Christ. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Religious Herald.