In the 18th Century, a musician named William Herschel was spending his evening—not practising the oboe but surveying clusters of stars. Astronomy was a hobby he’d picked up just a few years earlier. He built his own telescopes and read obsessively about stars.
On one evening in March, he spotted something unusual. It looked like a star, and yet it was moving. He checked again, and again, and again – he double-checked with friends and colleagues. This was no star; it was a planet!
No one had discovered a new planet since antiquity. Still, William Herschel, who was a part-time astronomer, had just found Uranus with his homemade telescope. His discovery changed the way people thought about the solar system. Yet, the most remarkable aspect of his story is how it began: not with a professional or an expert, but with someone who was simply looking, someone who was eager, and someone who was willing to say, “Look at this.”
We just need open eyes and a willing heart
If we take Hershel’s approach and apply it to evangelism, we might be pleasantly surprised. We often feel like we’re unqualified to talk about faith. We’re not theologians, and we don’t feel like we have the answers to the tough questions. We’re also not sure how people will respond.
The reassuring thing is that evangelism isn’t about being perfect. It’s about pointing and saying, “Come and see.” That’s exactly what Philip does in John 1:46. When Nathanael questions whether anything good could come from Nazareth, Philip doesn’t debate or defend. He just replies, “Come and see.”
I understand that evangelism can feel daunting, yet sometimes we overcomplicate it. It can be very simple.
As Easter approaches, there are people around us who may be more open than we realise. Think about your friends, your colleagues, neighbours and classmates. Many are spiritually curious and quietly searching. Sometimes, all we need to say is, “Look—come and see.”
We don’t need polished arguments, nor do we need clever questions. We just need open eyes and a willing heart. We also need to love the people around us. That might mean inviting someone to an Easter service or Christianity Explored. When I am with friends, I sometimes share something personal about my faith. Asking friends whether they have ever been to an Easter service before can lead more gently to an invitation.
William Herschel didn’t set out to change the map of the heavens. He was eager and just kept looking and, from time to time, pointed others to what he saw. What if evangelism is like that? Not a presentation or an ambush but rather an invitation.
You don’t need to be an expert. All we need to say is: Come and see.
