There was bound to be a backlash when directives were issued restricting preaching in moving vehicles.
When it comes to controlling faith-based activities with rules and regulations, adherents will always react vehemently if the new directives are considered to be restrictive.
The reason is that the instruction that gave the adherents their mandate is considered to have come from an authority superior to the one that is trying to regulate how they should obey that mandate.
Whom to obey
When religious leaders warned the early disciples not to preach in the name of Jesus, they responded fearlessly, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, judge for yourselves . . . We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 4:19; 5:29).
The disciples’ response shows the seriousness with which they regarded the responsibility to proclaim the Gospel which had been entrusted to them by Christ Jesus Himself.
Thus, genuine Christians would rather die under persecution than be frightened into refraining from preaching the Gospel anywhere.
The truth is that preaching the Gospel is not about whether you feel like it or not.
It is a divine mandate inherent in the Great Commission that Jesus gave to His followers (Matthew 28:20). Mark reports simply, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
“All the world” includes everywhere—wherever lost souls are found, including travellers on a bus or an aircraft.
Some missionaries went into violent tribes to reach them for Christ and sacrificed their lives in the process.
Titanic sinking
It is reported that when the Titanic was sinking on April 15, 1912, an evangelist, Rev. John Harper, continued preaching the Gospel, urging people to accept Jesus Christ as the ship went down. He kept on asking people, “Are you saved?”
Highly inconvenient, you may say. But when it comes to the message of the Gospel, convenience and propriety may be relegated to the background because of the permanent consequences of eternal condemnation.
As with the sinking of the Titanic, all travel involves risk, and people at risk must be concerned not just about their comfort on a bus but also about where they would spend eternity if something went wrong.
The reality
Evangelism over the years in all jurisdictions has included preaching in synagogues, homes, prisons, hospitals, marketplaces, public squares, and other places where people gather.
In Ghana, preaching in public transport is a familiar evangelistic activity that dates back several decades because the salvation message must be made available to everyone everywhere.
Because people differ in their attitudes, while some are ready to listen to the Gospel, others would want to be left alone.
In vehicles or elsewhere, those who genuinely listen and respond to the invitation to receive Christ become convicted and are encouraged to live for the Lord and become better citizens.
Travellers’ comfort
The restrictions about preaching in moving vehicles explain that it constitutes a nuisance, causes discomfort, and an obstruction to passengers, including the drivers who need to concentrate.
We must admit that noise pollution and unsolicited requests for attention constitute a nuisance because they infringe on people’s privacy and their need for relaxation.
Evangelists’ response to these genuine concerns goes back to the many excuses people give to reject the Gospel.
Of course, it is legitimate to allow people who would want to be left alone to exercise their discretion.
But when it comes to the essence of the Christian message, supporting people’s desire to be left alone would mean another form of restricting the flow of the Gospel.
t is like allowing a drowning person to drown because he is resisting rescue.
Or, as I once watched in a movie, a young person ready to commit suicide pleaded fervently not to be disturbed.
Another example is hospital visitation by Christians.
A regulation could be issued restricting preaching in hospital wards, arguing that patients need peace of mind to recover.
But patients also need prayers, scriptural assurances, kind words and timely visits to augment their medication for recovery.
The difference
These examples differ slightly from the restrictions on preaching in moving vehicles.
The important point is “moving vehicles” because the later explanation clarified that evangelists may preach in stationary vehicles.
How about the reality that it is not safe for preachers to stand in moving vehicles because doing so exposes them to danger?
The preachers admit the danger if a moving vehicle swerves dangerously while speeding on a highway.
But for centuries, Christians, missionaries, and evangelists have braved worse risks in order to propagate the Gospel!
Next week: The good Lord willing, next week we will look at why Christians should not regard the restrictions as persecution.
Moreover, we shall discuss how preachers in vehicles must be decorous and respectful in their approach to evangelism.
