“Well, I’m kind of indifferent toward Jesus. I think he was a good moral teacher, but he really has no impact on my life. I’m just trying to be a good person and I’m ok with that.”
Not long ago I was introduced to some new friends and the topic of Jesus came up. I asked if they had any spiritual beliefs, and the quote above was one response. It seems that most of my spiritual conversations, and many that I watch online end with, “Well I’m glad that works for you, it’s just not for me.”
There is a growing spiritual apathy caused by the popular belief that all religions teach the same things, and lead to the same place. The resulting personal quest for fulfillment has been coined, Apatheism: indifference towards religious and nonreligious beliefs.
Despite the growing apathy toward Jesus, many have attested that the person of Jesus portrayed in the four gospels is compelling. Jesus’ compassion is attractive, His wisdom is cunning, and His teachings are persuasive. There are countless stories of doubters and skeptics who opened the New Testament and shared that it was the person of Jesus who drew them to the Christian faith. But there are still many who have not read any of the eyewitness accounts of His life and see no need for Him or Chrisitanity in their life. They are apathetic towards Jesus and His teachings.
How do we share the truth of Jesus to someone who is apathetic toward Him?
Look for the anxiety at the root of apathy
I was working in a coffee shop recently and a group of young adults walked in and sat at a table nearby. Their private conversation quickly turned public as everyone around us overheard one of the girls say, “I just feel this anxious energy that I am not the good person I portray. I do all these things, and still have a negative energy about who I am. I mean I give to people, I help, I volunteer, put all this good energy into the world and still feel like I’m not doing enough.”
Heather Havrilesky, a columnist for “Ask Polly,” in New York magazine wrote an article not long ago sharing that millennials who write to her “feel guilty and inadequate at every turn.” I believe many of them simply don’t know about the life Jesus offers. We can begin to share this by speaking into areas of anxiety.
Related: Do we Create or Discover our Identity?
An area of anxiety is a place in someone’s life where they are searching for goodness, meaning, purpose, freedom, or identity and despite being told by the secular world where to find it, they don’t. The result is anxiety and disappointment when the expectations of personal fulfillment are let down. It’s like the woman at the coffee shop who tried to volunteer, help and give to other people to feel better, but in reality still feels guilty and is still searching.
Consider asking a question like, “what makes you feel most anxious about the direction of culture?” or “Where do you most feel your efforts fall short in changing yourself? What kind of anxieties come from that?”
Show how Jesus is better than “being better”
Everyone knows there is something wrong with the world, and feels the need to “be better.” There are an overwhelming amount of self help books, charities to get involved in, movements to champion that may appease some of the guilt we all feel, but in reality they will all fail to satisfy because they can’t offer what Jesus does.
Speaking into areas of anxiety awakens a felt need for which only Jesus is the ultimate healer. Jesus offers a unique and unparalleled solution to our guilt, Himself. Instead of saying we need to perform, Jesus invites us to receive His love and trust in His payment for our sins on the cross. His death and resurrection provide appeasement for our guilt, and proclaim acceptance into our lives that fulfills.
Consider asking a question like, “May I share with you where I have found hope in the midst of anxiety?” or “As a Christian, I’m not immune from anxiety, but where “being better” and “trying harder” had left me exhausted and defeated, trusting in Jesus has changed everything. Would you mind if I shared more?”
For those who have no background in Christianity, many times they need to hear why Jesus matters to build the plausibility for the gospel. Many people who are apathetic toward Jesus simply need to hear the truth of who Jesus is and the life He alone offers.
