In a world where millions of souls daily are condemned to a Christless eternity, Christians should not hesitate to tell others about Jesus. However, fear and lack of compassion can easily creep in to hold Christians back. In his new book, The Shadow of Babel: Speaking Jesus to a Language-Challenged World, Woody D. Wilson relies on his rich experiences as a personal witness, a missionary in the challenging setting of France and a faithful pastor, to show how believers can spread the salvation story simply by learning to use their voices for the Lord.The book looks at numerous experiences from Wilson’s rich life as a missionary in a challenging setting in France and as a U.S. pastor in everyday circumstances. The Shadow of Babel discusses the importance of talking about one’s beliefs, how to speak with one’s heart, why listening is the key to talking, and why “crossing the cultural divide” can be difficult. Despite the difficulties in communicating understandably in a world of diverse languages and cultures – the “shadow” of Babel that the title references – Wilson explains how we can bridge language and cultural barriers.
Each chapter centers around Bible verses and Wilson’s own stories to draw in the reader and equip the reader to examine his or her own challenges of talking about faith. At the end of each chapter, Wilson includes three practical helps that are designed to engage the reader in introspective thought and Bible study. Through these questions, Wilson desires each reader to be encouraged to share his or her own faith story. “We can’t keep it to ourselves any longer”, explains Wilson in the book.
In an endorsement of The Shadow of Babel, Dr. Preston L. Nix, director of the Leavell Center for Evangelism and Church Health with the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, says, “Through the lens of his experience of learning a foreign language to communicate the Gospel cross-culturally, Wilson challenges his readers to ‘find their voice’ to clearly communicate the Good News of salvation to this present generation. With amusing anecdotes and inspiring illustrations, Wilson highlights biblical principles for communicating Christ to a lost and confused culture.”
Each chapter centers around Bible verses and Wilson’s own stories to draw in the reader and equip the reader to examine his or her own challenges of talking about faith. At the end of each chapter, Wilson includes three practical helps that are designed to engage the reader in introspective thought and Bible study. Through these questions, Wilson desires each reader to be encouraged to share his or her own faith story. “We can’t keep it to ourselves any longer”, explains Wilson in the book.
In an endorsement of The Shadow of Babel, Dr. Preston L. Nix, director of the Leavell Center for Evangelism and Church Health with the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, says, “Through the lens of his experience of learning a foreign language to communicate the Gospel cross-culturally, Wilson challenges his readers to ‘find their voice’ to clearly communicate the Good News of salvation to this present generation. With amusing anecdotes and inspiring illustrations, Wilson highlights biblical principles for communicating Christ to a lost and confused culture.”
Woody D. Wilson is the senior pastor at Waddill Street Baptist Church in McKinney, TX, where he lives with his wife, Judy. He and Judy have four grown children and two grandchildren. Wilson received his M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and his D.Min. from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and Judy were missionaries to France with the International Mission Board and church planters in Texas and Illinois.
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