There was once an artist who sought to depict on canvas the meaning of evangelism. He began by painting a storm at sea. He had painted black clouds filling sky with a flash of lighting coming down from the heavens. In the raging sea he had painted a boat that seemed to be being destroyed by the pounding sea. He also painted men, some struggling in the swirling waters, some clinging desperately on the sides of the sinking boat, all with looks of terror on their faces. The only hope appeared in the foreground of the painting, where a huge rock protruded out of the water. There, clutching desperately to the rock with both hands, was one lone seamen.

It was a very beautiful and moving painting. From looking at it one could see that the tempest was a symbol of the hopeless situation of mankind. And true to the gospel, that only hope of salvation was "the Rock of Ages", the only hope amidst the storm. 

But as the artist looked at the painting he realized that something was wrong. In order to correct his error he discarded the painting and went to work on another. It was very similar to the first. It had the black clouds, the flashing lighting, the angry waters, the little boat being crushed by the pounding waves, the crew struggling vainly against the waters. In the foreground the seamen was still clutching the large rock for salvation. But the artist had made one change: the seaman was only holding on with one hand, and with the other he was reaching down to pull up a drowning friend.

That is a picture of God's intent for His followers.. We have the honor of reaching out to the world with Gospel of Jesus Christ. As Paul states in Philippians chapter two, we are, "shinning lights" or as the NIV puts it "shinning stars". "holding out the word of life."