Indiana Jones and the power of a visual aid

Some months ago, John Cross met with a pastor over breakfast at a local diner. Their purpose in sitting down together was to become acquainted with each other and for John to share about the ministry of GoodSeed and how it might be of assistance to other ministries.

Before John could launch into his presentation, however, the pastor began blitzing him with questions regarding GoodSeed and its approach to teaching. At one point, John was explaining GoodSeed’s use of visual aids and how many ordinary believers have found them effective in helping people connect with the biblical worldview.

John pulled out a visual aid he had with him and placed it on the table between them. “Let’s see how long it’ll take for this to help launch a conversation with someone here in the restaurant.”

The visual aid he set out was an Ark of the Covenant, the golden box topped with two cherubim found in the Holy of Holies of the Jewish Tabernacle.

In less than a minute, the restaurant owner crossed the room with a question, “Are those angels? Why do they have their heads down? What is it?”

John asked the lady if she knew anything about the Ark of the Covenant. “No, not really. I have no idea where the story came from,” she replied. She went on to say that all she knew about the Ark was from watching an Indiana Jones movie, but nothing more.

When John informed her that the Ark was originally spoken of in the Holy Bible, her response was, “You’re kidding! Really? The Bible!”

This line of conversation in turn led John to an opportunity to give her a copy of By This Name, which she gratefully accepted.

During this whole exchange, the pastor sat quietly observing. He was seeing firsthand how GoodSeed tools are most often used—believers would give away a tool to let someone learn the gospel message for themselves. We like to call this the “Be Ready” concept. At GoodSeed, we have seen how the visual aids that God put in the Bible—like the ark of the covenant—are such powerful tools to communicate the gospel message. As a ministry, we are glad we can help equip the body of Christ with visual aids, books and more, to help other believers be more effective in the sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.