pointed out “that God wants us to have compassion on those who
are suffering and do what we can to help.”
J. I. Packer, a British theologian who teaches in Vancouver, told
us, “Billy comes to people not as a visitor from outer space but as a
fellow human being. He doesn’t come primarily as a Baptist or an
American; he comes as a full-grown messenger of the gospel. He
has something precious, a message he’d like to share with them.”
His approach is not from a position of superiority. He boasts in
neither his qualifications nor his methods. He focuses on the fact
that he’s utterly ordinary.
“Billy acquaints himself with what’s going on in the country
he’s visiting,” says Packer, “and then he has the great gift of talk-
ing to people as if they are simply human beings, just folks, not
products of a particular culture. That’s why he’s able to commu-
nicate in a transcultural way: ‘Youhave a mind, youhave a heart,
and youhave a family.’ He has a gift for sticking to the main things
that apply to all human beings.”
As leaders, it’s easy to unconsciously draw attention to our
own peculiarities and preferences—our “unique selling point.”
But in establishing a connection with a different sphere, the start-
ing place is not my uniqueness but our common ground.
Creatively Reframe Differences
Almost inevitably, as a bridge-building relationship develops,
opposition and disagreements arise. Bridge building succeeds only
if both sides want to use the linkage.
Sometimes this means explaining things in innovative says.
Cliff Barrows told us about Billy’s ability (“I think it was divinely
imparted to him,” said Cliff) to reframe divisive issues in a posi-
tive way, especially in press conferences. For instance, when he
went to Israel for the first time, the Israeli press had not been
favorable, suggesting Billy was coming only to “proselytize.”
“The Israeli officials refused to allow us to use the stadium,”
said Cliff. “They had indicated we could use it if we didn’t talk
about Jesus Christ but just gave a lecture. That, of course, was
totally unacceptable.
Building Bridges