Always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you

REASONING IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE:
Delivering the Changeless Message Through Ever-changing Media
By Graham Nicholls
Christian Focus. 192 pages. £8.99
ISBN 978 1 527 111 059

Graham Nicholls is clear that his hope in writing this book is to provide Christians with both principles and practical tips for engaging with our ‘marketplaces’, to be salt and light wherever God has given us opportunities to share His gospel.

Nicholls deals with why it matters that we venture out, how we might speak about our faith (with some script ideas for tricky questions) and tackles the somewhat intimidating topic of street preaching.

He then moves on to an even more practical focus – how we can engage in and with: first, the media; then the internet; and, finally, with politics. His candour when acknowledging how hard some of us find the idea of websites or street preaching is refreshing. But the broad scope of the remit he has set himself can sometimes make it feel like each of us should be stepping out into an ambitious, brave new world for Jesus. Could you take up a career in the media, or take up opportunities to speak to the media?. What about writing a play or a song about Jesus, he asks?

He encourages Christians to express a ‘simple, humble opinion’ in the news, blogs, videos, online – in order to create dialogue with those who don’t yet know Jesus. But he is critical of those people who have Christian blogs or social media presence who ‘seem to think their view on any and every topic is essential’.

There are lots of useful practical suggestions in his sections on engaging well with the media, and thinking through what our church website aims to achieve.

The book is a very easy read, almost written as if Nicholls is giving a workshop session, which doesn’t always come across brilliantly on the page. It’s a whistlestop tour of some huge ‘marketplaces’ – but may leave many readers hankering after the ‘books and online resources which develop these ideas in more detail’. He suggests that we ‘start small’ and one wonders how different this book might have been if only he had taken his own advice.