Dear Church Family –
Larry Sanger is one of the founders of Wikipedia. He is considered to be one of the “Tech Gurus” of our culture. He has a Ph.D. in Philosophy and spent 35 years of his adult life as a religious skeptic and non-believer.
Last week, he posted a lengthy essay announcing his conversion to Christ and detailing the journey that led to that conversion. This past Monday, Larry said he was blown away by the response he’s received to that post.
We praise God that He is at work in the lives of people and that the Bible has the power to turn people from darkness to light. I found some points in Larry Sanger’s story to be relevant and helpful to you and me as we try to point people to Christ and share the gospel with those around us.
1. Early seeds sown. Larry grew up in a church. My impression is that personal salvation and the truth of the gospel were not stressed in that church, but the seeds were sown. The seeds we plant in young hearts and minds make a difference.
2. Marriage and children. Larry shared that his feelings for his wife and children caused him to reject the atheistic notion that human beings ever only act in self-interest. That reminded me that Joe Aldridge, who wrote the landmark book, “Lifestyle Evangelism,” said that the best things to draw people to Christ are a good marriage and a good church.
3. The behavior of Christians online. Larry said, “I observed Christians on social media often (though not always) behaving with maturity and grace, while their critics often acted like obnoxious trolls. Some of my favorite people were Christian, too. And some of them were extremely intelligent.”
That reminded me of 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, “You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”
How we act and talk, online or in person, makes a difference.
4. Bible reading. Drawn by love and grace, Larry began to read the Bible. The Spirit used His Word to work in Larry’s heart. Statistics show a growing interest in the Bible in American society. If you invited a friend or neighbor to study the Bible with you, there’s a good chance they would accept.
We can pray for Larry Sanger’s faith to grow, for him and his family to connect with a good, Bible-teaching church, and for his influence to point others to Christ.
And we can pray for our own friends and neighbors and family members who may be skeptical and unbelieving.
Thanks for being a supportive, encouraging part of a church that is serious about the Bible and the gospel and teaching children. “You are the light of the world!” (Matt 5:14). – Pastor Tim
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