Faith Is Like Skydiving: Interview with Rick Mattson

When  Faith Is Like Skydiving:  And Other Memorable Images for Dialogue with Seekers and Skeptics  came in the mail from InterVarsity Press (IVP) I just had to drop my colleague Rick Mattson^[1]  an email to enable us to learn more about his new publication. Note: As you may remember Rick wrote a resource rich series on  Headed to Graduate School  which gave testimony to his passion not only for the life of the mind, but also for creatively engaging in dialogue with seekers and skeptics.

• Begin with the End in Mind
• A Time of Re-imaging
• Witness in the Academy

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Tom: Rick, I am so excited to have received a copy of  Faith Is Like Skydiving:  And Other Memorable Images for Dialogue with Seekers and Skeptics  from IVP. Please share with Emerging Scholars the story behind its publication and little bit about how “faith is like skydiving”.

Rick:  Tom, Faith Is Like Skydiving  is a reflection of my last five years working as a traveling evangelist/apologist to college campuses around the country—about fifty in all. Often my hosts (usually InterVarsity groups) set up events called “Stump the Chump,” where students can ask me any question they wish about Christianity. Immediately I could see that giving abstract philosophical responses to students’ questions would put them right to sleep. So I began creating images and illustrations that were easier to follow and remember.

A sampling of images includes elephant traps, a hammer, a hole in one, the telephone game, a know-it-all, a doctor, a grand conspiracy, a royal flush, a novelist, a modem. These are all related to issues in apologetics and are designed to be “put into play” quickly and easily in conversation without having to think about it too hard—and without any formal theological training. The book is written mainly for laypeople but I think religious professionals who already know the arguments will gain some quick handles for illustrating their points.

So my overall hope is that the book will help Christians present their case for faith in a manner which is organized, crisp and memorable.

Tom: Please give us a glimpse into how you settled on the format of the publication and how you anticipate it to be best used by individuals, campus fellowships, and local congregations as they engage in dialogue with seekers and skeptics . . . And possibly even explore their own questions?

Rick: Believers are often hesitant to wade into apologetic conversations because they feel intimidated or ill-equipped to handle tough questions and objections. Or if they do enter the fray, they give rambling responses and go off on tangents. But if they’re able to utilize the images in the book, I think they’ll feel a lot more confident—and their interactions with nonChristian friends will be more focused and convincing.

I know it’s made a huge difference for me. I used to ad lib, get lost, say dumb things, philosophize with my head in the clouds . . . well, I still do some of that! But I find myself way more prepared these days as I use the images over and over.

One suggestion I’d have for local congregations or campus fellowships is to memorize a few of the images, then ask each participant to try them out with a nonChristian friend and see what that friend thinks. This approach gets Christians out of the classroom and into real conversations.

Tom:  Getting back to the big picture, what three or four points do you desire every reader to take away from  Faith Is Like Skydiving?

Rick:

1. Learn the images and use them. I’m afraid many people (like me) love to read books and feel spiritually and intellectually stimulated. But if readers take the time to employ the images in real-life conversations, they’ll see the fruit of their efforts.
2. Discern your audience. The last three chapters of the book focus on how to get into spiritual conversations in the first place and to discern whether your audience is more modern, postmodern or a combination of both. Then you can tailor your approach accordingly.
3. Rely on the Holy Spirit. I do provide a lot of training and encouragement in the book for people to learn the images and be prepared. But I also mention several times that this is not merely a human endeavor. I say: read, study, memorize, prepare hard—then trust in none of this. Give it all to the Lord as you go out and have dialogue with folks created in his image.

Tom: To wrap up, please share with Emerging Scholars an encouragement regarding the value of their role in the Kingdom God and next steps in being “little Christs” on campus.

Rick: Tom, I keep getting back to Daniel, who was exiled in Babylon in the fifth century BC. He learned the customs and ways of the people and became an important messenger for the God of Israel. He was a “little Christ” long before the time of Christ. Those of us who work in the university world have been placed strategically by God to serve as his messengers in a foreign land, just like Daniel. We need to learn to be conversational people, engaging the campus with the gospel.

Tom:  Rick, Thank-you  for once again sharing your time, gifts, and insights with us! May God continue to bless your dialogical labors on behalf of the Kingdom of God—in particular bringing his salt, light, leaven and life into the relationships to which he has called you to be a “little Christ”. To God be the glory!

Note to those who follow the Emerging Scholars Network: As I recently gave attention to in another  interview,  genuine dialogue is of great importance to members of the higher ed community. I encourage you to consider reading this book, sharing with a friend,  recommending  for a discussion group,  and/or adding to the resources (where applicable) of your campus fellowship, community outreach, and/or local congregation. For an excerpt from Chapter 1, click here. To God be the glory!

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Notes