At such a moment, hesitancy in speaking out faithfully on behalf of the good news of Jesus is inexcusable. There are…issues thrown at Christians today, and the world is both owed an answer and is actually waiting for the answer that only the church can give—even if the world is slow in waking up to that realization. There is therefore no need for any Christian to fear or take alarm.

At the same time, we must recognize that almost every word we say in public today requires an element of persuasion, yet for many Christians persuasion has become a lost art. Such people insist rightly on preaching, proclamation, pronouncements, and even protest, and all these forms of communication are essential and have their place. But without persuasion, they are like a television commentary with the sound turned off—all moving mouths, but mute.

from Fool’s Talk