This evening... and a request for prayer

I'm looking forward to tonight. Sayuri and I are meeting together with a friend of hers this evening over bubble tea on the Ave -- and I'm excited, as we've been intending to meet for the past three weeks. The friend (whom I've never met) is a young man from Japan who was a classmate of Sayuri's last quarter. From Sayuri's description, he sounds as though he is a very bright and intelligent university student who is studying for a year here in the States. He's not a Christian, but he likes talking about the meaning of life.

Alot.

He is, as he told Sayuri, "open to all religions" rather than limiting himself to one at the expense and exclusion of others. Sayuri and he have had several interesting conversations unfold as a result. Knowing that a great delight of mine is talking about worldviews with unbelievers while asking questions like "what do you think the meaning of life is," Sayuri told this fellow that she wanted him to "meet my friend who likes to talk about this stuff." He told her that he would like to discuss with me why I decided to become a Christian, and thereby exclude all other religions by my decision. When I heard about it, I readily agreed. So long, I emphasized, as Sayuri went with me and we met in a public place.

And that's why the three of us are meeting tonight.

So, the purpose of this post is to ask for prayer. It is always my temptation to attempt to sound as relevant and informed in these sorts of discussions as possible. I in no way, however, ever want to do so at the expense of the clarity of the Gospel. I would like for an intelligent conversation between three young adults. But I don't want Emily in the way. I want to be led of the Spirit in this conversation. I need prayer. I need wisdom. I need humility.

I need grace.

I want the truth of the Gospel to be proclaimed. Loudly. I would rather appear "foolish" in the wisdom of the world and let the aroma of Christ permeate, than appear "wise" in the eyes of this fellow, but foolish regarding eternal matters. My desire is that as we meet and discuss, both Sayuri and I would be able to take every opportunity to express, in great humility and compassion, Christ and Him crucified. That it would be as Paul writes when he says:

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Cor 2:1-5)

That Jesus alone would be high and exalted tonight. I'm echoing a poem penned by C.S. Lewis, which was sent to my email earlier this week:

From all my lame defeats and oh! much more
From all the victories that I seemed to score;
From cleverness shot forth on Thy behalf
At which, while angels weep, the audience laugh;
From all my proofs of Thy divinity,
Thou, who wouldst give no sign, deliver me.

Thoughts are but coins. Let me not trust instead
Of Thee, their thin-worn image of Thy head.
From all my thoughts, even from my thoughts of Thee,
O thou fair Silence, fall, and set me free.
Lord of the narrow gate and the needle's eye,
Take from me all my trumpery lest I die.