A Chinese Proverb
Today, while on vacation in the World Showcase at EPCOT Center in Disney World, I saw this Chinese proverb:
Hearing something 100 times is not as good as seeing it once.
What do you think? True? Not true? Does this apply to the church? If so, how?
I like it. Rings true for me. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22. We can preach the Gospel to the lost a thousand times to no effect if the proof of our lives does not bear evidence of the presence of the King. “Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord` will enter the Kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Matt. 7:21. God isn’t so interested in what we profess as in what we do in our daily lives to help others and show the love of Christ. “By their fruits you will know them.” Show me your faith: paint for me a picture by your actions of the loving, saving God you talk so much about. If I see love, mercy, and justice consistently in your day-to-day practice I might be inclined to take your faith seriously.
Alan,
Enjoy EPCOT!
I’m jealeous. 🙂
I think it applies to everything in life.
We hear it 100 times yet seeing it twice is much, much better.
I mean how many times have you heard in church something said 100 times yet actually seen it done more than once? Thanks for this post and enjoy your vacation.
Amusingly, EPCOT itself is a fantastic illustration of the point. I’ve been there. I don’t think 100 descriptions could do it justice.
There used to be a song that said “I’d rather see a sermon than to hear one any day.” Yeah there have been a lot said by the church and about the church but how many people have ever seen “the” church?