There once was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Wealth, Knowledge, and Love. One day, the island began to sink. All the feelings jumped into their boats and left. But Love stayed. Love wanted to make sure everyone else got away safely.
When the island was almost underwater, Love cried out for help.
Wealth sailed by in a fancy boat. “Wealth, can you take me with you?” Love asked. “No,” said Wealth, “my boat is full of gold and treasure. There’s no room for you.”
Love saw Pride in a beautiful ship. “Pride, please help me!” Love cried. “I can’t help you,” said Pride, “you’re all wet and you’ll mess up my boat.”
Sadness floated by, and Love said, “Sadness, please let me go with you.” “Oh Love,” sighed Sadness, “I’m so sad I just want to be alone.”
Ambition sped past in a hurry. He was so busy he didn’t even hear Love calling.
Suddenly, a voice said, “Come Love, I will take you.” It was an old man. He carried Love to safety, then quietly went away. Love was so happy and thankful, but forgot to ask the old man his name.
Later, Love met Knowledge. “Who helped me?” Love asked.
“It was Time,” said Knowledge.
“Time?” asked Love. “But why did Time help me?”
Knowledge smiled wisely. “Because only Time understands how important Love is, and only Time is willing to take time to think about others.”
This simple story holds profound relevance for the mission of evangelization, echoing several key themes:
The Unconditional Nature of Love: Just as Love stayed behind to help others, evangelization is rooted in selfless love. It is about sharing the Good News not for personal gain, but out of genuine concern for the well-being of others. This reflects Jesus’ own example, who said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)
The Rejection of Materialism and Pride: Wealth and Pride, consumed by their own desires, were unable to offer assistance. This highlights the need for evangelizers to detach themselves from worldly possessions and ego, focusing instead on serving others and spreading God’s message. As Jesus taught, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24)
The Importance of Empathy and Compassion: Sorrow, trapped in her own pain, could not offer help. Evangelizers must cultivate empathy and compassion, understanding the struggles and needs of those they encounter. This mirrors the compassion Jesus showed throughout his ministry, healing the sick and comforting the afflicted.
The Value of Time and Patience: Only Time recognized the true value of Love and offered assistance. Evangelization is a long-term endeavor that requires patience and perseverance. It is about accompanying others on their spiritual journey, respecting their pace and offering support along the way. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
The Role of Knowledge and Wisdom: Knowledge helped Love understand the actions of Time. Evangelizers must be grounded in faith and knowledgeable about scripture and tradition. This allows them to effectively share the message of the Gospel and answer questions with wisdom and clarity.
In essence, this story serves as a parable for the evangelizing mission. It reminds us that true evangelization is driven by love, compassion, and a willingness to invest time in others, just as Christ invested his time in us. It calls us to reject worldly distractions and embrace the wisdom of faith, sharing God’s love with patience and understanding.
Pierre-Alain Giffard, Director of Pastoral Work
Email: pierre.alain.giffard@gmail.com
Book on parish revitalization and gowth:
- BOOK – Revive and Thrive: Transforming Parishes into Mission Driven Communities provides a blueprint to breathe new life into parish communities and engage in the core principles of evangelization and disciple-making. (Order – US / Order – CANADA)
Articles on evangelization and parish revitalization:
- Evangelization: Sharing the Joy, Peace, and Hope of Christ
- Priestly Leadership in Evangelization
- Café evangelization at the University of Mary Washington
- Evangelization: A Living Testament of God’s Love
- Living in The Joy of The Gospel
- In The Beginning Was the Word: The Primary Role of Scriptures in Evangelization
- One-Phrase Evangelization
- Asking Each Day for the Grace to Help Someone
- The Parish as an Expression of God’s Love for the World
- If no one speaks, no one will know
- Evangelizing Through Healing: Manifesting God’s Loving Presence
- The Parable of the Wise Landowner
- Extraordinary Signs in Extraordinary Times
- The Evangelizing Message of Medjugorje
- The distinction between proselytism and authentic evangelization
- What God Needs from Us Is Love, Reconciliation, and a Spirit of Forgiveness
- Evangelization: A Collaborative Mission of Love
- Prayer and Service that Finds Favor With God
- The Transformative Power of Love
- The Evangelization Power of Prayer and Love for God
- Everyday Evangelization
- Every Act of Love is Evangelization
- Loving Jesus and Making Him Loved
- Embracing a Lifestyle of Worship and Praise
- A Prayer for Divine Healing and Restoration
- Factors That Have Proven to Attract People to Christ
- Evangelization: Finding Life and Giving Life
- The Eucharist: Source And Summit of All Evangelization
- Practical Steps for Reaching the Unchurched
- Bible Sharing Guide for Small Groups: A Synodal Approach
- Bringing People to Christ by Inspiring Love and Praise for God
- Proclaiming God’s Word: A Sacred Call
- From Decline to Renewal: The Transformation of New Life Church–Farmington
- The Church’s Social Doctrine and Evangelization
- Kindness: A Christian Perspective
- How to Bring Someone to Christ
- The Ultimate Purpose of Human Life – Glorifying God
- From Near-Death to New Life: A Rural Church’s Revitalization Journey
- Evangelization simply: “Taste and see that the LORD is good!” (Psalm 34:8)
- Revitalization of Rural Churches
- Attracting Converts to the Catholic Faith
- Addressing Low Attendance in Churches
- Fostering a Sacred Atmosphere during the Sunday Mass
- Prayer to be baptized in the Holy Spirit
- Jesus is Thirsty for Souls
- Praying And Sharing The Good News With God’s Redemptive Names
- Embracing the Call to Evangelize
- What is Most Pleasing to God? Bringing Souls to Christ
- The Growth of the Church of the Nativity (Fr. Michael White)
- Deliverance Prayer, by Fr. Stephen J. Rossetti (AUDIO – mp3)
- The Growth of Saint Benedict Parish (Fr. James Mallon)
- Five Pillars of the Christian Life
- Encountering Christ: The Path to Transformation
- What does it mean to have a personal relationship with Jesus?
- Unleashing The Evangelization Potential of Your Parish
- The Ultimate Goal of Evangelization
- God’s Longing for Love and our Mission to Make it Known
- A prayer for those whom we wish to encounter Christ
- Memorable Sundays
- Fr. Bedard’s Three-Step Blueprint for Evangelisation
- Guide for The Missionary Transformation of Parishes
- Divine Encounters: A Practical Guide for Small Evangelization Groups
- The Missionary Transformation of Sant’Eustorgio Parish
- Creating Vibrant Faith Communities: Insights from ‘Excellent Catholic Parishes’
- Sharing The Gospel According to People’s Needs And Receptivity
- A Prayer for Inviting Others to Evangelization Meetings and Services
- Welcoming Church Guests and Visitors: Dos and Don’ts
- Various Dimensions of Evangelization
- The True Measure of Success
- Pope Francis on Evangelization
- Revitalizing the Rural Parish for Mission
- Factors Leading to Christian Conversion
- Evangelizing Through Random Acts of Kindness
- Questions To Start Spiritual Conversations
- Three Feet From Gold
- Spreading the Gospel One Act at a Time
- Gather, Witness and Invite
- Prayer to Receive the Spiritual Gifts of The Holy Spirit
- The Language of Evangelization
- Key Factors for Parish Growth According to Rich Birch
- How to defeat Satan?
- Bringing Love, Hope and Healing Through the Gospel
- Love: Our Fundamental Vocation
- Touched by the Master
- A Man, a Dog, and the Ultimate Love
- The essence of evangelization: Loving God and our neighbours
- Loving Our Enemies and Reconciling with Others
- A Powerful Prayer for Healing: You Are The LORD Who Heals Me
- Living a Life of Love: Mother Teresa’s Legacy
- Living a Life of Love: Lessons from the New Testament
- In The Shadows Of Darkness, A Powerful Force Is At Work
- 19 Pastoral Orientations for Parish Renewal and Growth
- The Missionary Renewal of Catechesis
- Characteristics of missionary parishes
- Powerful healing prayer attributed to St. Padre Pio
- We are called to share our faith with others
- Should we seek to grow the Church?
- Find a Need and Fill It – Revealing God’s Heart in the Community
- 15 Habits to Evangelize on a Daily Basis
- The Church’s Mission
- Three Barriers to Building An Invitational Culture In Your Parish
- The Relational Evangelizer
- Doing Church at Home
- The Blind Girl
- A Group of Frogs
- The Elephant Rope
- A Shared Faith is a Growing Faith
- In The Shoes Of The Unchurched
- Parish Evangelizing Cells
- Six Unique Features of Missional Parishes
- Steps Towards Becoming A Missional Parish
- What Is Evangelization, And How Should It Be Carried Out?
- Discussion And Self-Assessment Questions For Parish Evangelization
- A Missional Church Is A Church That Prays
- The Jesus Prayer: A Method To Pray At All Times
- What can help children raised Catholic continue practicing the faith as adults?
- An Example of a Missionary Parish: Phoenix First Assembly of God
- Satan’s Tactics
- Learning to Be a Missionary
- When we cry out to God, he answers
- Presence and Proclamation
- Saving those who are lost
- Saint-Nazaire Parish: The story of a missionary transformation
- Small Groups and Evangelization
- Evangelizing By Inviting People To Receive Jesus As Lord And Saviour
- You Will Receive Power…
- Have You Heard About the Law of Three Hearings and Seven Touches?
- Three Habits of a Fruitful Christian Life
