In China there are places called “English corners”. Hundreds of Chinese students studying English would visit this area with the intent of speaking only English. When my team visited on a mission’s trip we focused on this area as often as possible. English was something we knew well and it was something they wanted, giving us a unique platform to speak into their life. Every time we showed up, the students would cease the conversations they were having and flock to us to listen to our fluent English. We felt like celebrities!
One night, I found myself surrounded by 40 Chinese students. They were asking questions and intently listening to the way I crafted my words. I had the undivided attention of 40 individuals all because I had a platform. After the third or fourth question I felt the God prompting me to make this time about Him, so I began turning every question back to Him. When someone asked me a simple question like what I like to do, I responded that I liked reading the Bible. When they asked what my favorite movie was, I said Passion of Christ, my favorite music, Christian music. Eventually their questions turned more spiritual and started asking very targeted questions like what I thought about the 10 virgins, and why Mary poured perfume on Jesus’s feet. It was wonderful, 40 Chinese people were intently listening to me openly talk about Jesus in the streets of China, a communistic country.
That night their openness to hear the gospel was because of a rare circumstance. They drew close to me because I had something they wanted, English. My skill in English elevated me on a platform, and then I was able to leverage that platform to turn it back to Jesus. Thinking back to America, I thought of how many celebrities hold fans attention, musicians enthralling listeners, and athletes rousing crowds. In China, we had English, but in America we can seek a different platform. It’s not prideful to seek greatness. Its positioning ourselves in a place of influence to allow the gospel to flow. It’s what Jesus did; it’s what we can do.
So may we find our own unique skill we can master. May we use that skill to build a platform and elevate Christ. The world wants heroes. Let us be their hero and point them to the one true hero.
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