"Schematics.................."

Beth and I had dinner last night with a couple of friends, good people, both involved down through the years with missionary work in Mexico, but currently hindered in their return to such area, too much drug cartel danger presenting a threat. The wife is the preacher and several times during the hour or so together tried convincing me to participate in an upcoming inner-city outreach. Heroin here in northern Kentucky is a major problem and this coming week a huge outdoor meeting has been scheduled, a huge number of churches taking the Gospel outside the sanctuary to the streets. No “inner Voice” thus far tugging on my heart. If I do go, persuasion will come from that source. In reading Rolheiser’s new book “Sacred Fire”, his thoughts sent me investigating three different ways that people are convinced by others to accept, to act, to adopt the other’s reasoning. “Ethos” is a term defined as the author’s “character” or “credibility”. We listen to those who impress us in some “intelligent” way, their reputation preceding them and providing some foundation for faith. “Pathos” has more of an emotional meaning, the speaker’s message invoking sympathy, drawing pity, or invoking anger from those before him. “Logos”, then, simply implies logic, utilizing facts and statistics that speak for themselves. My own preference, be it listening to the other guy or in me attempting to minister, to the kids at the Center or the men at the mission, is a balance of it all that hopefully comes forth in a manifestation of His reality. In witnessing, what I try to do is just, not get “self” out of the whole scenario, that’s almost impossible; but one can surrender “self” unto His anointing and achieve a place where He connects with hearts, He supplies the text. The third element, though, remains with the fellow in the flesh. Ethos is a matter of me being faithful in my commitment, honest in my humanity, and sincere in my compassion, giving God the glory while allowing Him to use the moment. The ground, at Calvary is always level and, likewise, the old man is always “under construction” with another lesson to be learned…….