Unexpected Connections

illustration by Viktor Miller-Gausa

Dale Mason
Publisher

I was caught off guard.

My wife and I had just witnessed a wedding in an ornate Orthodox cathedral near Chicago. As part of the nuptial, the Serbian refugee and his bride wore golden crowns, as the king and queen of their home, and the priest officiant sang the entire service and his marital instructions, including all Bible verses. The 90 or so of us who witnessed the union wore a special herb that had traditional significance as well.

In Serbian fashion, we stood through the entire ceremony in honor of God. I was struck by the Christ-focused illustrations and the other biblical characters and accounts that adorned the walls and the ceiling high overhead. The gilded imagery was bright, cheerful, and accentuated with icons. The name of Jesus was lifted, and the roles in marriage were verbally defined.

After the service, a young father turned and told me that I was Dale Mason. (I knew that, but how did he?)

Turns out the dad knew me from the drawing that accompanies this Publisher’s Pen in Answers magazine. He’s been a huge fan of Answers in Genesis and this publication since the first copy arrived at his mailbox. His grandmother had gifted a subscription to him years ago, and he said his faith had deepened through the apologetics interwoven through the articles.

Of course, his story intrigued me! As we chatted, he introduced me to his lovely wife and son. As they shared their stories, I learned that it was in fact a mutual love and appreciation for creation apologetics that cemented this couple’s relationship, which began on a dance floor during salsa lessons! He discovered soon after that first meeting that she too had grown zealous in her love for Christ and his Word in large part because someone had cared enough to expose her to the connection between facts and faith.

On that Saturday in November, I met friends I didn’t know I had. And again, I was greatly encouraged at hearing how God is using this magazine to penetrate hearts and minds with the truth of his Word. Because a loved one was willing to share creation apologetics, via this magazine and DVDs, another generation was reached, and that couple is now reaching their son—the next generation after them—with facts that help confirm their faith!

What are you sharing with your loved ones?