Despite the fact that Jesus clearly commanded us to “make disciples of all nations” and spread the good news to “the ends of the earth,” some of us still feel a bit uncomfortable—if not downright intimidated—by the whole idea of evangelism. Part of the problem may be the word itself. Like a lot of “ism” words, some think evangelism carries the connotation of arrogance and ideological superiority, as if the church were saying to the rest of the world, “We have all the answers, you don’t; therefore, you need to wise up and convert!”

But I think the problem actually goes deeper than just the word. It is also one of image. Mention evangelism to most people, and they immediately picture a slickly-dressed TV preacher, or maybe that pushy next-door neighbor, who insists on turning every conversation into an altar call. With these as our prevailing images, it’s no wondering that so many of us have a strong aversion to evangelism.

Perhaps, then, it is time for the church to reclaim the word and change how people perceive it. In the broadest sense, evangelism simply means living the gospel in such a way that it can be seen, heard, and experienced by others. In other words, you don’t have to stand on a street corner handing out pamphlets, or buttonholing strangers at the grocery store and asking, “Have you been saved?” in order to do evangelism.

Thomas Long invites us to think of it this way. Suppose a few inmates in a prisoner-of-war camp manage to construct a crude radio receiver out of a razor blade and some spare scraps of wire. Gathered around this radio late one night, they hear, through the static, a news report informing them that a liberating army is advancing and that their freedom is imminent!

Obviously, this is news of extreme importance, which needs to be shared with their fellow prisoners. No one would dare suggest that it be held, privately and secretly, within the hearts of those who first heard it. They must find a way to tell the others.

However, they also know that doing so will prove difficult—perhaps even dangerous. The reigning powers that still rule the camp will resist the telling of this news at all costs. Moreover, some of the prisoners may have become so despondent in their captivity that they will have trouble believing it. The message of their impending freedom may seem too good to be true. Still, the news must be told; the only question is how.

Standing in the midst of the POW camp and shouting it at the top of their lungs is one option. Whispering it from prisoner to prisoner in the stillness of the night might be another. But make no mistake; at the very least, those who have heard the good news will start acting differently because of it!

In much the same fashion, Christians have received news that is simply too wonderful to be kept all to ourselves. It must be shared with the world. Now, some would have you believe that the only way to do this is to start canvassing the neighborhood and knocking on doors. But I beg to differ. There is no single, right way to do evangelism, because what is well received by one person may be off-putting to another.

We should be getting the message out, to be sure. But if you ask me, the place to start is by living our own lives differently in light of what we now know to be true. After all, in Jesus Christ, we are no longer captives; we have been set free!