He totally wrecked me when he said it. I couldn’t disagree with him because he was right. Penn Jillette, the American magician and comedian, mostly known for his work with fellow magician Teller as half of the team Penn & Teller, spoke truth one day.
This guy is intelligent, funny and a little dark. And if I’m being uncomfortably transparent with you, you probably wouldn’t find this girl chomping at the bit to share my faith with this outspoken atheist. In his mind, he’s got the “There is no God" thing figured out.
But one day a Christian man approached and complimented him after his show and gave him a Gideon Pocket Edition New Testament with Psalms. Penn was impressed by this guy. He says, “He was truly complimentary. It didn't seem like empty flattery. He was really kind and nice and sane and looked me in the eyes and talked to me and then gave me this Bible."
Now, this encounter didn’t change Jillette’s atheistic view. As far as I know, his denial of God's existence remains. However, he wasn’t offended by this man’s desire to share Jesus with him. In fact, Jillette made a profound point that deeply impacted me . I think I could listen to ten sermons and still not be as challenged as what he said that day.
"How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize?" Jillette asked. "How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that? If I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you and you didn't believe it, and that truck was bearing down on you, there's a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that."
I don't believe it's actual "hatred" that keeps us from sharing our faith, but more of not wanting to feed into the idea that Christians are know-it-alls, judgemental, unloving, intolerant, etc. but this was definitely a reminder for me that if I truly care about others, I shouldn't hold back telling them the greatest love story they'll ever hear.
