Sharing LUMEN: An Invitation, Not an Argument

by Dr. Peter A. Kerr

Many people who encounter LUMEN feel an immediate resonance. Something about it feels familiar, relieving, or quietly hopeful. It has the gentle light of Heaven, the ring of truth, the familiar feeling of Scripture like a well-worn overstuffed chair.

That same resonance can create uncertainty when it comes time to share it with others. How do you speak about a way of seeing God without turning it into a debate? How do you offer something that has helped you without sounding as though you are correcting, fixing, or replacing someone else’s faith?

The answer is simple, though not always easy: LUMEN is shared best as an invitation, not an argument. There is nothing you must force others to see—you simply invite because you know it will bless.

LUMEN is not a system that needs to be defended. It is a lens through which God can be seen more clearly. Because of that, it is offered, not imposed; described, not debated; lived, not proven.

Start with experience, not explanation

The most natural way to share LUMEN is to begin with what it has changed in you. Instead of leading with concepts, lead with fruit. You might say something like:
• “It changed the way I pray.”
• “It helped me trust God when I couldn’t control outcomes.”
• “It softened how I think about holiness and made me see myself as holy (a saint).”
• “It helped me see God as more patient and less anxious.”

These are not claims that demand agreement. They are testimonies that invite curiosity. People rarely argue with lived experience. They listen. If it is helpful, here is an example of how to start with testimony:

Reading the website A Deo Lumen helped me relax and trust God rather than need control. LUMEN centers on God as holy love—full, patient, and not anxious—and it reshaped how I think about prayer, suffering, and freedom. Prayer stopped feeling like persuasion and started feeling like participation. Holiness stopped feeling like pressure and started feeling like fullness and God’s self-gift. It didn’t ask me to leave my church or adopt a new label; it simply helped me look at Christ more closely and trust that God is forming people, not managing outcomes.

Let questions do the work

LUMEN spreads best through gentle questions rather than firm conclusions. Questions create space. Arguments close it.

Some helpful questions include:
• “Have you ever felt like prayer is a chore or is an attempt to force God to act?”
• “Why do you think God created everything? It could not be to get something He lacked.”
• “Do you think God is more like a manager or a parent?”
• “What if faith was about trust rather than certainty?”

Such questions do not corner anyone. They open a doorway. LUMEN lives comfortably in that doorway.

Resist the urge to correct

One of the strongest temptations is to frame LUMEN as the answer to what others have gotten wrong. That instinct, however sincere, undermines its very heart. We do not want to start with “Here is what you misunderstand.” Instead, a better introduction might be, “What if God is even better than we ever imagined?” or “what if God loves us so much He never coerces human will?”

When someone expresses a belief that differs from LUMEN, the most faithful response is often curiosity rather than correction. Ask how that belief has shaped their prayer, their peace, or their view of God’s character. Listen generously. Trust that truth does not require pressure to be persuasive.

Let Christ remain the center

LUMEN is not an abstract idea about God. It is a way of seeing God as revealed in Jesus Christ. When sharing it, keep returning to Christ—not as a proof text, but as a person. Instead of saying: “This theology says…” You might say:
“Look at how Jesus treats people.”
“Notice how Jesus responds to fear.”
“Watch how Jesus uses power.”

Christ is not the conclusion of the conversation. He is the invitation itself.

Share practices, not positions

People are often more open to trying a practice than adopting a position. LUMEN naturally lends itself to simple invitations:

• “Try praying without asking for outcomes—just presence.”
• “Try sitting with God without explaining yourself.”
• “Try noticing where fear creeps into your faith.”
• “Try trusting that God is patient with your growth.”

Practices bypass defensiveness. They allow people to experience rather than evaluate.

Not everyone is ready to receive the same invitation. Growth cannot be rushed without being distorted. If someone is not interested, that is not a failure. Love never demands receptivity. The Spirit works at a pace suited to each person’s history, wounds, and hopes. Your role is not to persuade. It is to witness.

Perhaps the most compelling way to share LUMEN is to embody it. A person who prays with peace, who suffers without despair, who refuses to coerce, who trusts God without anxiety, quietly testifies that something different is at work. People may not remember your words, but they will remember how safe you felt, how unafraid you were, and how spacious your faith seemed.

LUMEN does not ask anyone to leave their tradition, abandon their church, or adopt a label. It invites Christians of all backgrounds to see God as holy love—full, radiant, and trustworthy—and to live accordingly.

If this vision resonates, share it gently. If it does not, let it rest. Love is never hurried. In the end, LUMEN is not something to win an argument with. It is something to walk into, together.