Recently, Gideon and Pam Petersen came to visit us and lend us their skill and expertise in crafting messages that really speak to the hearts of our Northern Khmer and Thai friends. One question they asked me was, “What is the good news for the Northern Khmer? What does Christ offer them that they currently want—a need that they recognize?”

Buddhists keenly feel a need for two major things—a peaceful heart and permanent escape from suffering. These are things I hear again and again. However, most realize that a total and permanent escape from suffering (Nirvana, as they call it) is out of reach in this lifetime. So, practically speaking, their only hope is to attain a peaceful, quiet heart and live a successful, moral life. How do they do this? By meditation, making merit and working hard. When they give offerings of money and food to Buddhist monks, they feel happy and assured that the good deed will make life better for them, and their goodness will help protect them from harm and suffering.

To contextualize our message for Buddhist people, we must at first speak to these fundamental felt needs by teaching them how Jesus can give them peaceful hearts and ultimately eternal escape from suffering.

That very afternoon after I spoke with Gideon and Pam, I went to a dentist’s office to get a couple of fillings. As I sat in the chair, the dentist asked me what I do. I told him I’m a missionary. He asked what a missionary does. I answered that my job is to know God and to tell other people how they can know Him, too, have peaceful and quiet hearts, and, ultimately, permanent freedom from suffering. “Wow!” he exclaimed. “Just hearing you say that makes me feel peaceful. I want to know more about that!” After he finished with my teeth, he gave me his business card and told me to call him sometime.

Scratching where people itch—meeting their felt needs, speaking in terms they understand and appreciate—is certainly a major key to success here! Thank you, Gideon and Pam, for your insightful questions that are helping me and many other missionaries fine tune how we reach out to our people groups.

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