Apologetics is like . . .

     Apologetics is like a field. In the center of the field is a garden. This garden has one door and that door is Jesus. There is one path that leads to that door. Inside the garden is eternal life in the presence of God. Outside it, however, in the field, are rocks, boulders, thorns, thistles, valleys, hills, and many false paths that lead nowhere.

     The apologist resides in the field and points people to the true path so they can find the Garden. The apologist seeks to remove the intellectual thorns and emotional rocks that prevent people from finding the truth path to God. Also, there are many people who are walking false paths (cults, philosophies, etc.) who will never reach that garden. The apologist gently guides the person, removes the obstacles, and points in the direction of the Garden. When people arrive there, it is between them and God on whether or not they enter.
     Picture yourself as a laborer in the field. It isn’t your job to save anyone. It is your job to point the way. You aren’t the only one in the field. Getting them to the Garden is not your job. They get there. You simply help them.

"An illustration of what apologetics really is" by Matthew Slick, www.carm.org/apologetics/illustration.htm