My general rule of thumb is to convey the radical cost of accepting or rejecting the gospel at a level commensurate with the trust I’ve built with someone. Otherwise it feels like I’m shouting at them from across the chasm to come over to our side. Once they trust me they’ll be more apt to let me come close enough to take them by the hand and lead them over the bridge.
Rahab’s trust in the scouts factored into her confidence in the redemptive red rope. I suspect it had something to do with their mutual vulnerability. When they met, Rahab, as well as the scouts, were desperate and in danger. They trusted her to hide them and she trusted them to return for her and her family. Vulnerability and mutual trust are at the foundation of any good friendship.
– Originally published in Reaching Rahab: Joining God In His Quest For Friends
barney wiget 