By David Triana
The words in the title of this column were consistently used by Ravi Zacharias when he would talk about how we should handle discussions with others who may not necessarily agree with us on things and especially, our world view in the case of Christians.
Ravi, the founder of the Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), was one of the greatest Christian evangelists and apologists of our time and recently passed away at the age of 74, only three months after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer of the sacrum called sarcoma.
For many years, I have followed him as he speaks in defense of the Christian Faith to varied audiences throughout the world. His eloquent and clear responses to questions, some of them quite harsh and difficult, always had something for both the questioner and others in the live audience or those watching his videos or listening to his podcasts.
Zacharias’s ultimate mission as a Christian apologist and evangelist was to present and defend the truth of Jesus Christ that others might find life in Him.
His life story has been an inspiration to millions! While still living in India, at age 17, Ravi attempted suicide by swallowing poison. It was there, that Fred David, an American Christian worker came to visit him and offered him a little Gideon’s New Testament. He was so weakened that he could not take it. Mr. David opened the Bible to John 14 and read Jesus’ words from verse 6 to him. Ravi, when telling this story would say, and then he read “Because I live, you also shall live.’
Those powerful words, according to Ravi, caused him to open his heart and his life to Jesus Christ and he promised that “he would leave no stone unturned in his pursuit of the truth.”
That pursuit of truth would lead Zacharias to almost 50 years of ministry, and preach the Good News of Jesus in over 70 countries.
During Ravi’s memorial service on May 29th, which was attended by numerous Christian leaders, artists, politicians and regular folk, Vice President Mike Pence made the following remarks: “In the late Reverend Billy Graham, it’s been observed that God gave us the greatest Evangelist of the 20th century. In Ravi Zacharias, God gave us the greatest Christian Apologist of this century.”
Ravi was known world-wide for advocating that we should all be able to sit down and discuss issues, especially the subject of religion, with “dignity, gentleness and respect towards each other.”
For many years, our nation has become polarized by political ideology, and while in the past, politicians of different parties, while disagreeing in ideology and policies, it was not unusual for them to assertively state their case on a particular issue, but once the political debate ended, you would see them shake hands, maybe even hug, and go out to dinner together.
One of the most powerful stories I heard Ravi tell is the one when he participated in a meeting with Sheikh Talal Sider, one of the four founding members of Hamas. Ravi explained that after they had eaten a great meal provided by the Sheikh, and after they finished, the Sheikh told them that while he was imprisoned for eighteen years, some of his children had been lost in suicide bombings. Ravi had a question for the Sheikh and said “Sheik, I may never see you again and forgive me if I’m asking you the wrong question. Please tell me, what do you think of suicide bombing and sending your children out like that?”
Ravi did not like his answer, and while maintaining a dignified, gentle, and respectful demeanor, they both spoke about the story of Abraham when he was asked to offer his son 5,000 years ago, which according to the Bible, had taken place very close to where they were meeting. Ravi then told the Sheikh, “Sheik, I just want you to hear this. Until you and I receive the Son God has provided, we’ll be offering our own sons and daughters on the battlefields of this world for many of the wrong reasons.”
Ravi finishes the story be saying that as they were walking out to their SUV, the Sheik, who was a big strong man, had come out, patted him on the face and kissed him on both cheeks and said “You’re a good man. I hope I will see you again some day.”
Dignity, gentleness, and respect, and in this case, courage! Can you imagine the guts one would have to have to speak so straightforwardly, to one of the founders of Hamas at his home?
The problems our nation is experiencing are huge! In my humble opinion, and I pray it happens soon, they will only be resolved, when leaders all the way from our highest office down to you and I, or WE THE PEOPLE, we can discuss issues with dignity, gentleness, and respect for each other.
The El Rincon de Jaime (Jimmy’s Corner) section in Conexion was established in honor of 80 year old, Jimmy Story, whom I met in 2005 while he was teaching English to non-speakers, many of them Hispanics. I admired him for that. Jimmy died of a heart attack in the parking lot of the building he held his blessed work at. His legacy, his students, now walk the streets of the Emerald Coast and several are business owners.
Ravi has touched my life and taught me many things in all these years. In his honor, a new section in which we will post Ravi’s most famous quotes will start in the July edition of Conexion. I will pray, so that his words will touch you and teach you too.
Ravi, you fought the good fight, you finished the race, you kept the faith and indeed, you also kept the promise you made to God those many years ago after Fred David read you those passages and you committed your life to Him.
Dignity, Gentleness, Respect, a man of God, Ravi Zacharias.
