Their ministry to the world begins at home
by Ron R. Lee

Most people don’t pick up a book by Ravi Zacharias for leisure reading. He uses words like "heteronomous" and "poststructuralism." He bolsters his arguments by quoting Indian religious scholars, German theologians, and a variety of philosophers past and present. He studied at Cambridge, he has spoken in more than 50 countries, and he has lectured at many of the world’s greatest universities.

Ravi moves comfortably in the realms of logic, philosophy, religion, history, and literature. He draws from other disciplines to prove the reality, and the truth, of the Christian faith.

"For some people," he says, "the door to the heart is through the window of the mind."

Considering his work and his academic pedigree, you might picture him as an overbearing intellectual in whose presence an ordinary human is reduced to the level of a blubbering idiot. But that’s not the case.

When you meet Ravi and his wife, Margie, they’ll offer a warm welcome and a cup of tea. Their open and gentle spirit puts you at ease.

The Zachariases believe a Christian has the power to bring about positive change in the world. They are convinced that God intended a Christian’s home or apartment to be a base for hospitality and ministering to others. And they don’t let those of us who feel called to teaching, computer programming, construction, or parenthood off the hook. They’ll tell you we’re all called, primarily, to show God’s love to those around us.

Meant to be together
Margie was 16 when she met Ravi at church soon after he immigrated from India to Canada. He was being trained to become the banquet manager at a large Toronto hotel, and he assumed he would make his mark in the business world.

For Margie, home represents a place of peace for everyone who walks through the door.

But when Margie got to know Ravi, she felt God had bigger plans for him. "At the time," she says, "he didn’t recognize God’s call on him. But everybody who met him did."

Public speaking doesn’t come naturally to Ravi, but in 1971 he accepted an invitation to spend three months preaching in war-torn Vietnam. His messages were heard by U. S. and South Vietnamese soldiers, North Vietnamese prisoners of war, and Vietnamese civilians. As a result of those meetings, thousands became Christians.

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