The four most common questions that expatriate workers are asked by neighbors, coworkers, shopkeepers, taxi drivers and those they encounter are:
- What is your name?
- What do you do here?
- Where are you from?
- Do you believe in God?
Everyone can answer the first three questions in under a minute, perhaps even without thinking about it too much. The fourth question requires thought, preparation, sensitivity, gentleness, respect, divine inspiration, and a time out.
Check out Peter’s advice on this – 1 Peter 3:15,16.
PAUL THE TENTMAKER FROM TARSUS
In one short, to the point sentence, we learn much about Paul. Having established his name, his profession, and his roots, we can safely assume that he then began passionately sharing his faith in ever creative ways.
How you answer the fourth question will either open the door for future faith discussion or perhaps close the door to potential friendships that lead to faith talks. It is vital that we get it right, as we only have one chance to make that critical first introduction of our faith.
If it were up to me, I would make every future tentmaker spend at least 10 hours preparing various versions of answers to this one question. It is that important. Getting that answer wrong could raise suspicion and make you an object of unwanted attention or it could simply set the foundation for future dialogue and perhaps even give you status as a man/woman of God.
For those of you considering tentmaking business as mission, or those of you out there already doing it, I urge you to do some homework so you will have the best possible answer to question number four.
There is a variation to question number 2: “Why have you come here?” My hero Greg Livingstone loves to say: “I am here to help you do better on judgement day.”
By Ari Rocklin