There are several steps involved in creating an effective “stone in the shoe” witness.
First, identify a Bible topic.
Although “stone in the shoe” witnessing involves homing in on one main point, you can prepare a number of topics in advance.
You can also prepare a number of alternative points you might make on any given topic.
When it actually comes time to talk with Jehovah’s Witnesses, pray about which point to use.
Remember that saying less often has more of an impact.
Second, come up with an unexpected way to address your topic.
Be creative.
Come at your topic with an angle the Witnesses won’t be expecting in order to force them to think rather than simply parroting Watchtower talking points.
Third, find a non-threatening way to present your points.
Make sure you don’t come across as lecturing them or accusing them of something.
You want the focus to be the “stone in the shoe” point you’ve made, not you as some sort of antagonist.
Fourth, fine tune your points into memorable soundbites.
You will want to say something that will stick with them long after your conversation has ended.
Here’s an example:
- Identify a Bible topic.
My example will be how to develop a soundbite based on the Watchtower Memorial.
Last March, I was walking through a major airport when I unexpectedly encountered two Jehovah’s Witnesses who were stationed at a literature cart.
They handed me a tract inviting me to “The Memorial.”
Unfortunately, I wasn’t as well prepared as I should have been, so I just thanked them and moved along.
I should have been prepared to make some brief, stone-in-the-shoe comments about the Memorial, and you can be prepared as well.
What is “The Memorial”?
Every year, near Easter time, the Watchtower hosts an annual “Memorial of Christ’s Death” at all their Kingdom Halls.
They also call it “The Lord’s Evening Meal.”
It’s their version of communion.
They make a special effort to invite outsiders, which gives us a great opportunity to prepare to engage them.
What really happens if you attend is that you hear a talk on the Watchtower’s two-class salvation system.
They teach that there is an “anointed” class and an “other sheep” class.
There are only 144,000 anointed ones from the first century until now.
Only they will go to heaven someday.
Only they are born again.
Therefore, only they are worthy to partake of the bread and wine at the Lord’s Evening meal.
Because of these numbers, most Kingdom Halls have no “anointed” in attendance and therefore no one who actually partakes of the bread or wine.
All other Jehovah’s Witnesses are part of the great crowd of other sheep.
They don’t expect to go to heaven; their hope is that they might live forever in paradise on earth.
They are expected to attend the Memorial, but they must pass the bread and wine on by without partaking.
Non-Witness guests are invited to attend, but likewise they are told to pass the emblems on by without partaking.
- Come up with an unexpected point to make.
If you attend the Memorial, Jehovah’s Witnesses hope to engage you in extended discussions about the two-class system in order to lead you to become a Jehovah’s Witness.
Avoid this result by bypassing this discussion and making a point they won’t expect.
The point I came up with is this: It is bizarre and even insulting to invite someone to attend a Memorial meal and when they arrive tell them that they aren’t worthy to partake and so must pass the bread and wine on by without eating or drinking of any of it.
- Find a non-threatening way to present your point.
You can’t just make the statement I set out above or they will be insulted.
They won’t consider what you’ve said at all.
They’ll just walk away and have no more to do with you.
Instead of arousing hostility, you can make your point by telling them about my experience and how confusing I found it.
That’s emulating Columbo.
He didn’t call things “insulting” or “stupid.”
Instead, he scratched his head and was “confused” or “puzzled.”
- Fine tune your point into memorable soundbites.
When the Witnesses invite you to the Memorial, you can truthfully tell them:
- Thank you for the invitation.
- Actually, I have a friend who attended a Watchtower Memorial service once, but he found it very confusing.
Of course, they will ask you to explain.
You can elaborate:
- He said he understood the talk about there being two different classes and two different hopes, but he found it strange that non-anointed ones were invited to attend the Memorial at all.
- I mean, no offense intended, but who invites someone over for a meal and when they get there tells them that they are supposed to pass the food and drink along without actually partaking of anything? That may seem normal to you as a Jehovah’s Witness, but to an outsider that seems really confusing.”
Most likely, they will try to explain the two class system.
You can cut that short by saying:
- I’m not arguing about whether or not there are two classes.
- Assuming there are two classes, I just don’t get why non-participants are invited to attend the Memorial.
- In the original Upper Room meal, did Jesus invite non-participants to come watch his anointed disciples eat and drink?
- If he didn’t do it that way, then why do Jehovah’s Witnesses?
- That puzzles me.
You can soften the blow by adding:
- I hope I haven’t offended you by saying what I did. I mean, Jehovah’s Witnesses can do things however they feel is right.
- I’m just saying that I don’t get it, but I do thank you for the invitation.
- I will consider coming.
Summary
Although I have taken some time explaining this step by step, I hope you see that the gist of your comments could be presented to Witnesses at an airport or street literature cart in just one or two minutes.
You made an unexpected point about the Memorial, thereby avoiding triggering memorized Watchtower presentations and talking points.
You were as non-threatening and inoffensive as Columbo, making it much more likely that the Witnesses will consider what you have said.
You made your point in as memorable a fashion as possible, thereby increasing the chances that it will be a stone in their shoe long after you have parted.
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!