Arguments to Accompaniment
At university, I believed in God.
My friend didn’t.
And if I’m honest, I treated every conversation about faith like something I had to win.
I had answers. I had arguments. I was ready to defend the Church… to the death.
What I didn’t have was the ability to listen, or to share faith as good news.
So eventually, we stopped talking about it.
Life moved on.
Different paths. Different priorities. Thirty years passed.
Then, out of the blue, he messaged me.
His wife was Catholic.
His son had been baptised.
They had started going to Mass.
And then he said:
“I saw a course to become Catholic… so I put my hand up.”
But what struck me most wasn’t the decision — it was how he described where he was starting:
“I’m not 100%… but I’m open.”
This time, the conversation was different.
On my own journey, I had learned that mission isn’t about winning arguments —
It’s about walking with people.
Exploring, instead of debating.
Listening, instead of correcting.
Support, instead of pressure.
He spoke about a new sense of peace.
About letting go of old wounds.
About focusing on what really mattered — his family, his relationships, and a growing awareness of God.
Then came the moment that stopped me.
He had stumbled across a podcast, where I shared — with some regret — how I had once pushed a university friend away by arguing instead of sharing.
He replied:
“I think I might have been the friend you were talking about.”
And then this:
“Planting a seed 30 years ago… and waiting all this time for it to grow into something.”
Thirty years ago, I wasn’t on mission.
I was trying to win.
And winning an argument isn’t the same as sharing the Gospel.
What I didn’t understand then, I’m still learning now — that faith grows not through pressure, but through patience…
not through debate, but through relationship.
And somehow, even through my clumsy beginning, God still planted something that He, in His time, brought to life.
If you’re keen to learn more about how to accompany people as they explore faith – join us at our May Mission Hub:
Monday 18 May, 7:00–8:30pm.
All are welcome!
Alison Carroll
In my search to hear the voice of God, I once asked Him why He doesn’t speak to me the way He seems to speak to others with a clear voice or message with purpose and clarity. I told Him that I too desired to hear His voice as some of my fellow brethren had.
Over the course of the last year, I began to sense that He was speaking to me but in gentle whispers, one word at a time. The words that came to me were patience, humility, and gentleness. Each time I sensed this inner prompting, it was during my time with Him in Eucharistic Adoration.
Three weeks ago, I felt prompted to read the Book of Ephesians. I shared this desire with a friend, and he encouraged me to go ahead and read it. I discovered it was only six chapters long, so I decided to read it all in one sitting.
Amid the beauty of St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, I felt like I struck gold when I came across this passage:
Ephesians 4:2–3 (RSV2CE)
“with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
This passage contained the very words that had been gently whispered to my heart during Adoration – humility (lowliness), patience, and gentleness (meekness).
Around the same time, during a quiet moment of reflection while driving to work, I also received the word “Unity.” When I later read the phrase “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” it resonated deeply with what I had read.
The word “Unity” was also mentioned recently at the Mission Hub (www.missionhubnz.com) meeting, where they referred to Ephesians 4:13:
“until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
This revelation felt like God gently confirming His message to me and I received them with joy and thankfulness.
Please also join me in praying for those afflicted by War through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, that the suffering ends soon and for God’s Spirit of Peace to reign in those countries.
All Glory and Praise in Jesus’ name.
God bless.
Geoffrey Henderson