One of the great joys of eating dinner is a small restaurant is the ability one has to unintentionally eavesdrop on the conversations of others. I make it a point to keep my conversations private in such settings by talking only loud enough for my voice to carry across the table.
My wife and I have a lot in common when it comes to being in the vicinity of loud talkers. When someone starts talking too loudly, we both stop talking. Rather than compete with the noise, we listen. Once the loud conversation ends, we immediately resume ours, however the topic inevitably shifts to what we have just heard.
Last night, in a quiet restaurant, a conversation began between two strangers at different tables. Both were alone, waiting for “to go” orders, so they had some time to kill. There was a younger man at one table and a middle aged man at the other. The middle aged man had clearly lived a hard life. This fact was made apparent by both his words and his appearance. The younger man, was vibrant and full of energy, just dying to talk to anyone who would listen.
After a brief exchange about the older man’s tattoos and their meaning, the conversation shifted to employment. The older man revealed that he had spent some time in the Navy and reminisced about his world travels. The young man responded by saying, that he worked as an intern at a local church and spent much of his time with junior high aged students.
My ears perked up upon hearing this. Visions of an enthusiastic young pastoral intern flashed into my mind. I assumed that in the next few minutes I would hear the beginnings of a sermon and an awkward exchange between the two strangers. The older man responded to the announcement of the younger man’s occupation with a very long silence. It seemed that the conversation was over, but the old guy surprised me when he picked it right back up after a minute or so.
Rather than pursue the religious angle, he went back to his Navy stories. The two men continued talking until their orders were ready. As they prepared to leave, the young pastoral intern got up and shook the older man’s hand. They exchanged names and went on their ways.
With them gone, my wife and I resumed our conversation. “Compare his form of evangelism to the other church,” I said. “Which do you think is more effective?” The other church to which I refer has gained regional, if not national, attention for its recent lawsuit against the state police. The lawsuit alleges that the police violated the first amendment rights of three church members who were arrested for reading the Bible in public. What the lawsuit doesn’t mention is the fact that the men had previously been told that if they wanted to preach to a captive audience on state property, they must first obtain a permit. The men refused and came back again to preach without going through the proper channels. The lawsuit, and the church lawyers, also failed to mention that another group had recently successfully obtained a permit to preach at the same site, never once violating the law.
This particular church is somewhat notorious for its loud in-your-face style of evangelism which comes across as offensive to most who hear it. The young intern, however, left an impression as well by simply revealing that he was a Christian in a very non-offensive manner and then listening to a man as he relived some of the highlights of his life in the Navy.
Someday, the middle aged ex-sailor may begin to see Christianity as a desirable option because of this encounter with the intern. He may also learn to see Christianity as a frightening option if he reads the newspaper and hears about the arrogant church who feels the need to ignore the law and shove the Bible down the throats of anyone within earshot. Both churches preach the Gospel, but only one of them reaches the lost.
* For a very thoughtful analysis of the church situation mentioned in the post, please see http://mayheincrease.com/2011/05/thoughts-on-the-arrest-of-calvary-chapel-hemet-pastors/?doing_wp_cron
