There is no time to lose in sharing the gospel. Petra Zimmerman considers when it is better to hold back.

A couple of months back, I bumped into Aaran who I had not seen for a while. For several years he had been sleeping at the steps in front of All Souls Church in Central London and was waiting to get a place to live for a long time. It was gratifying to hear that he now has his own flat.

As we talked, our conversation shifted to some challenges that could arise moving into housing, such as boredom and loneliness. Rough sleepers need support while they are homeless and also when they secure a place to live. The damaging effects of homelessness do not end with the housing of a person.

Aaran said that he is holding regular meetings with a friend who has also been housed in the last year. The two have known each other since the time they both were on the streets.

A huge amount of research shows that people find it difficult to sustain their tenancies even after being provided with support and are often overwhelmed by challenges such as loneliness, boredom, mental health problems, and substance abuse.

Often, these factors overwhelm people’s ability to participate effectively in activities in their daily lives.

Knowing this, I arranged to meet him once a week just to see that he is okay. Since then, he has been coming to church and he has also been coming to our online Bible studies.

When it comes to talking about the gospel, I am careful about how and when I speak. He told me once that he felt his childhood experiences of church were very negative, and I am concerned that if I push too hard it might have an adverse effect.

So, when I met him yesterday and asked if he wanted to come to church he said, “not today,” and I let him know that this is ok.

There are times when it is right to speak with boldness and to challenge people and times when it is wiser to hold back.

Knowing the right time is not a simple thing but we are so encouraged that God is at work and Aaran is interested in finding out more about Jesus. The only answer I have is to really, really pray that God gives me the wisdom, gentleness and the right words to speak to somebody.