When You've Experienced A Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly

A rapid, unscheduled disassembly. That was the description technicians gave to the most recent scheduled launch and test of SpaceX's Starship. Our culture has found observing SpaceX to be a pleasing pastime. So, when a recent launch was successful, only to fail a few minutes into the flight, people were watching and heard it live. At a critical moment, the live commentator reported, "We should have separation by now." And then, when separation did not occur, there was a pause before the commentator said, "Obviously, this does not appear to be a nominal situation." Allow me to interpret that for you. Something went wrong.

As humorous as that was, what caught the attention of most people was when it was stated that the launch had experienced a rapid, unscheduled disassembly. That's tech speak for “it blew up.” Because this was a test launch that did not include any harm to human life, I can laugh very hard at that statement. Somehow, I will be working that phrase into as many conversations as possible.

Perhaps you have experienced a rapid, unscheduled disassembly in your life. Maybe it was at a critical moment or in a vital conversation. If you've experienced one, you know it. I want to get more specific, though, and talk about those times you've experienced a rapid, unscheduled disassembly in your evangelism. Again, if you've experienced it, you know it.

In evangelism, a rapid, unscheduled disassembly may take on several forms. If you're like me, you plan out your conversations. You've been thinking about it in your head; you know exactly how it will go, so when the time comes, you're ready. Yet, how often does the conversation go as planned? The difficulty of evangelism is that because we're trying to remember particular phrases, verses, steps, etc. that, when the conversation goes wayward, it blows up. At other times, we experience a rapid, unscheduled disassembly because we are underprepared. Sometimes we need to study our Bibles more, and sometimes the encounter brings up an obscure question or two that we have not considered. Hopefully, the rapid, unscheduled disassembly we experience is less frequently the result of direct confrontation, but it is a possibility.

There are many legitimate reasons for a blowup and probably a few avoidable causes. Regardless, they happen, and that's OK. What is crucial is that we take steps to limit our exposure to the possibility. And we can do so in the following ways:

1. Prepare: Every launch begins with preparation. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for individuals to say they don't share God's truth because they are not prepared enough. But ask them what they are doing to prepare, and it's also not uncommon for them to say nothing. Take steps to prepare.
2. Launch: At some point, you have to launch. Without actually launching, we cannot test our willingness and preparedness. The first step to evangelism is to take the first step.
3. Disengage: It's OK to disengage. In fact, sometimes that is the best step. If you're close to a rapid, unscheduled disassembly in your evangelistic conversation, the wise thing may be to disengage.
4. Analyze: When the spaceship blows up, designers don't just say “Oh well” and move on. They analyze what went wrong. They have invested heavily into this, not just in terms of finances and resources, but also with their own being, using their minds and stamina. When failure results, they analyze where the breakdown was. We should do the same when our evangelism encounters breakdown. Spend some time studying what went wrong.
5. Adjust: Based on the analysis, make adjustments. Do you need better preparation? Was there a faulty system in your execution? Whatever it may be, learn and make appropriate adjustments.
6. Relaunch: Finally, relaunch. Few encounters will achieve the outcome we desire. That does not keep us from repeatedly launching as the Lord directs.

A rapid, unscheduled disassembly. My new term to describe anything that blows up. It happens in our evangelism for all of us. So, first, please do not feel embarrassed or ashamed. You are not alone. However, please don’t let that keep you from launching with a bold proclamation of your faith because we know that the Lord uses every encounter in some form or another.

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