The David Hasselhoff School of Evangelism

But first, a note: I spent the last three days (Monday-Wednesday) at a Worship & Warfare conference. It was great and I’ll start writing about what I learned there; but first, I have to write this.

Now: Today’s thing

As I understand it, the story goes like this. David Hasselhoff personally brought down the Berlin Wall. He was certainly standing atop the Berlin Wall in a freakin’ light-up leather jacket singing his classic song “I’m Looking For Freedom” (Don’t believe me – click that link and see for youself).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxAd2sHtMf0

It was supposed to be a big concert, with lots of artists that you’d probably want to see (if you dig that kind of music). Legend says that Crosby, Stills and Nash, Melissa Etheridge, and others were on their way to the wall when they were caught in a traffic jam of Germans … who were stampeding to see The Hoff (as his friends call him). The Hoff was big time in Germany (is big in Germany) and “Looking for Freedom” was number one in Germany for like eight weeks.

Not only is he big in Germany, he really loves the German people. He was at the wall as much to celebrate with them as he was to perform. He was there early and that’s when all the magic happened. Someone in East Germany decided that waiting until the politicians said it was time to pull the wall down was silly. Who doesn’t understand that? Why live a day longer under the thumb and in the (relative) slums of East Germany? Why wait for your freedom?

So – some cleaver East German started to break the wall down. Kudos to the East Germany army (who had to want the freedom as much as their fellow citizens) they didn’t stop anyone. Soon the wall came down. Hasselhoff was singing, or dancing, or pulling stones off of the wall (probably while still wearing that jacket). In the end, there’s video footage of Hasselhoff performing on top of this hated symbol of tyranny – and he’s singing about freedom.

Hasselhoff was there because he was a friend to the Germans and Germany. He wasn’t there because of this amazing (and wonderful) historical event. He was there because he loved the Germans. Because of that, he was able to witness and encourage the citizens pulling down the Wall.

Now – how is this like evangelism? Like Hasselhoff, we have to find a group of people to love. We have to find a group of people to invest our lives in and we have to be there when big things are about to happen. Like The Hoff, we have to learn to love another group of people; we have to have something that they desire and we have to share our gift with them.

Our gift is Jesus and He should be so big in us that others will see it and want it. Then, we have to have the time and love to share it. Even The Hoff’s song is on the money – everyone is looking for freedom – and Christians have the only real freedom.

Let’s find a group of lost to love as much as The Hoff loved the Germans. Let’s invest ourselves in their life and be there before the big things happen. Ready to celebrate, ready to live for – die for, and mirror Christ to.

Thanks for listening.

Andy