FOOD FOR THOUGHT

by Richard Kemp

A cool, clear provençale evening. Headlights pierced the darkness as cars converged on the ancient auberge. It was that most French of rituals, a meal out with friends. The OAC European Zone conference would start two days later, and evangelists from all over the continent were present. We had also invited our French friends to see at first hand the work of our mission. We had reserved 50 places and the place was packed.

As open-air evangelists, most of our work involves making contact with people we have never met before. For most people in France, an open-air meeting is the first time they have heard the Gospel and it is a big step from there to entering what can often seem like a completely different culture. For some time now we have been considering how we might draw non-Christian friends into a familiar environment where they could hear the Gospel and meet Christians in a relaxed and 'safe' setting.

In this respect the meal was a good first step. Please pray for us as we consider other ways in which we might bridge the gap between the church and the day-to-day world of French people.

The food was of course excellent and very good value; little pieces of French bread with lots of garlic, paté, bouillabaisse... However, the conversation over the table soon turned to more serious subjects as Ben van den Akker from Belgium used conjuring routines to illustrate the Gospel message. For example, by linking together coloured handkerchiefs he showed how Jesus repairs our relationship with the Father.

Sylvie Glock brought the formal part of the evening to a close with a song about the lordship of Christ. We left the auberge close to midnight, with hearts and stomachs well-fed.