This article was originally published by The Mennonite

God sighting in a dinner guest

Ervin Stutzman

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.—Jesus in John 12:32

Afew weeks ago, I watched the Holy Spirit draw a dinner guest to God as a new follower of Jesus. (Because our guest hailed from a country that suppresses Christian witness and this story could keep others from obtaining visas to the United States, I have altered some names and left out some details in this account).

Stutzman_Ervin_2One Sunday, the worship service in a nearby church drew a foreign guest—a professor of philosophy from a large university in Asia. He was in the country for just a few weeks, joining Mei, his wife, who was completing a term as a visiting scholar at a nearby university.

On the first Sunday that professor Xu Zhang visited the church, he was intrigued by the title of the International Sunday School lesson for that day, printed in the church bulletin: “Preparing with Plans After Death.”

The visitor wanted to learn more about death, so he came to the class. It so happened that Bonnie, my wife, was a guest teacher that day. The professor of philosophy told the class that his father, a Buddhist, fears death but that his mother, a Christian, does not.

Xu grew up in the countryside and was the first person from his village to go to college. His mother, the only Christian in the village, walked many miles every month to meet with other Christians.

Xu came back the following Sunday with more questions. Because of his deep interest in Christian faith, Bonnie and I invited Xu and his spouse Mei into our home for a meal, along with another couple from the Sunday school class.

We spent much of the evening learning about life in Asia, where both Xu and Mei teach in a university. We learned, too, about the extreme deprivation that Xu’s family experienced during a time of revolution and upheaval in his nation.

As our guest shared about his spiritual doubts and fears, I sensed that God’s Spirit was at work in him, gently tugging him toward belief in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Three times as Xu talked that evening, his wife Mei commented that she had never heard him speak that way before. We all watched with awe as he clarified his desire to become a follower of Jesus Christ. In response, I shared with him the Four Spiritual Truths, written by J. Nelson Kraybill.

While Mei is not a Christian and was not ready to make a similar commitment to Christ, she seemed eager to help Xu find peace in his life. So he prayed a prayer to receive Christ and spoke of the joy he was feeling inside. A week later, he stood before the entire congregation and gave testimony to his new life in Christ.

Xu has since become an enthusiastic student of Scripture, guided in his study and Christian walk by John, a member of the Sunday school class.

A week after his new birth in Christ, he asked us to help find a biblical name with a significant meaning that he could adopt. After looking at several choices, he changed his first name to Joseph.

Although professor Zhang and his wife soon returned to Asia, he has stayed in touch with John, his new friend, who is discipling him in the way of Christ.

As I reflect on this joy-filled event, I see the Spirit of God at work in many different ways to lead this guest to faith in Jesus Christ. I see the faithfulness of God in the life of his mother, a Christian who persevered in prayer. I see God at work in the Sunday school class, showing hospitality to a total stranger who showed up in class one day.

And I thank the Spirit of God, who orchestrated it all.

Ervin Stutzman is executive director of Mennonite Church USA.

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