Creative Bridge Making
Scripture Reading — Ezekiel 4:1-17
“Take an iron pan, place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the people of Israel.”
God told the prophet Ezekiel to act out various scenes as signs of punishment that the people would face because of their unfaithfulness. Each scene gave a nonverbal demonstration that the people could understand as it was acted out. And the dramatic effect was often powerful.
One highlight of our ministry in the Philippines was to work with young adults in discipleship. A group on Negros Island developed an evangelistic team that they called Halieus (“Fishermen”). They practiced pantomime presentations (sometimes in our home) portraying the gospel story. Then they worked with churches to hold rallies in local neighborhoods where they presented the pantomimes. A shiver would go up and down my spine when I watched them. God used them to open the hearts of people for whom words alone were inadequate.
One reason why some people groups have not been reached, or have not responded to the gospel, is that typical strategies are not effective with them. To bridge those barriers, we need to understand the people and their culture more deeply, and to find creative strategies that can reach their hearts. That can also be true close to home, with people who live with us and around us.
Lord, guide us in developing effective strategies to reach people who need to know you. Help us to understand how to share the good news in creative ways. Amen.
About the author — Stan Kruis
Stan Kruis graduated from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1984 and began serving as a missionary in the Philippines, where he met his future wife, Bessie. Together they served in church planting and leadership training in the Philippines. After completing a Ph.D. in intercultural studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, Stan returned with Bessie to the Philippines in 2014, where he taught missions at the Asian Theological Seminary in Manila. Now retired, they live in Michigan. Stan and Bessie have two married children and one grandchild.
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