By Travis Lauterbach

I’m not sure where it came from, but there’s a well-known saying:

You’re not supposed to talk about religion and politics in polite conversation.

I often wonder why this unwritten “etiquette” is limited to these two topics.

I’ve heard some sports conversations that got super-heated.

Tell your Star Wars fan friends that Jar Jar Binks is your favorite character and you just might have a real debate on hand.

I guess not only religion and politics is out, but so are sports, movies, and who knows what else? So maybe this leaves the weather as the culture’s only conversation piece.

Is it really that bad to talk about religion? More specifically, is it that bad to talk about Jesus?

Jesus’ message is full of good stuff: mercy, forgiveness, salvation, eternal life, peace, rest, etc.

There’s a lot of good news in that.

Does Jesus want it shared with other people?

Luke tells of an encounter between Jesus and a demon possessed man (Luke 8:26-39).

The man suffered horribly under the compulsion of the demon. The townspeople tried to keep the out of control man chained and shackled, but couldn’t. His very being was like a prison.

However, Jesus drove out the demon, which set the man free to truly live. His torture had ended.

The man was no longer under the influence of an evil spirit, but he was free to think and act for himself.

After Jesus healed him, he wanted to follow Jesus.

Instead, Jesus told him, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you” (Luke 8:39).

God had done a great deal for this man. God rescued him in the midst of terrible suffering.

He listened to Jesus, “He went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him” (Luke 8:39).

Jesus desires His message be shared with others, because He’s less concerned with offending polite society and more concerned with proclaiming salvation.

Travis Lauterbach is the pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church located in the Falcon Ridge Business Park in Mesquite, NV.