Jesus - Intolerant? A Follow-Up
A couple of weeks ago I posted an article about a t-shirt that Dan Kimball mentioned on his blog Vintage Faith. I left the posting with an invite for you to share your comments and promised to post mine later. By the way, your comments were all very good. I was reminded today that I had yet to add my two cents. In preparing to do so, I revisited Dan's blog today and found 'the rest of the story' - or at least Dan's response to the t-shirt wearer. Click here to read Dan's response.
As to my response - I think Dan did a great job! I'm wondering where to order my "Jesus Loves You - And I'm Trying" t-shirt.
Would I have tried to converse further with the shirt-wearer? Probably not. I've had a few experiences where I have tried to 'make a point' only to agitate the situation. The whole story reminds me of an incident at the 1995 Volusia County Fair.
The church that I served set up a booth at the Fair. Members of the church manned the booth with the hope of giving free gifts to people as they passed, to talk about our church, and were opportunity to arise, to share the gospel. Two booths down the row from our table was a local new-age bookseller's booth. Across from them was a booth with a huge "Heaven or Hell?" sign in blue (heaven) and red (hell) lettering overhead. A man stood all day long the entire week of the fair at that booth literally haranguing everyone who slowed down to look at the bookstore table. "If you read that stuff you're going to hell!" "Pagans! You're all pagans!" "The Lord God Almighty condemns soothsayers and fortune tellers to hell!" By about the third day of the Fair he rigged his overhead sign in such a way that a bell would ring and the letters h-e-l-l would light up and flash in red like a fire engine. When anyone would stop to shop the new-age books he'd push his button and the sirens and lights would start. Consequently, passersby would see and hear his sideshow and then look up to see my church booth, and run past us as quickly as possible.
So, I went to talk to him. I don't recall my exact words but it was something like, "I'm wondering if you might tone it down a little bit?" Before I knew what was happening the man was telling anyone who would listen that I was a heretic, and not to stop at my booth. For the next several days he would wander over to our table and try to engage us in an argument. It was an awful experience. I was tempted to show the man just how spiritual I was - and 'lay hands on him'. But the only thing I could imagine being a worse witness than this idiot was the preacher from the other church beating up the idiot!
As I said, where do I order my "Jesus Loves You - and I'm trying!" t-shirt?
As to my response - I think Dan did a great job! I'm wondering where to order my "Jesus Loves You - And I'm Trying" t-shirt.
Would I have tried to converse further with the shirt-wearer? Probably not. I've had a few experiences where I have tried to 'make a point' only to agitate the situation. The whole story reminds me of an incident at the 1995 Volusia County Fair.
The church that I served set up a booth at the Fair. Members of the church manned the booth with the hope of giving free gifts to people as they passed, to talk about our church, and were opportunity to arise, to share the gospel. Two booths down the row from our table was a local new-age bookseller's booth. Across from them was a booth with a huge "Heaven or Hell?" sign in blue (heaven) and red (hell) lettering overhead. A man stood all day long the entire week of the fair at that booth literally haranguing everyone who slowed down to look at the bookstore table. "If you read that stuff you're going to hell!" "Pagans! You're all pagans!" "The Lord God Almighty condemns soothsayers and fortune tellers to hell!" By about the third day of the Fair he rigged his overhead sign in such a way that a bell would ring and the letters h-e-l-l would light up and flash in red like a fire engine. When anyone would stop to shop the new-age books he'd push his button and the sirens and lights would start. Consequently, passersby would see and hear his sideshow and then look up to see my church booth, and run past us as quickly as possible.
So, I went to talk to him. I don't recall my exact words but it was something like, "I'm wondering if you might tone it down a little bit?" Before I knew what was happening the man was telling anyone who would listen that I was a heretic, and not to stop at my booth. For the next several days he would wander over to our table and try to engage us in an argument. It was an awful experience. I was tempted to show the man just how spiritual I was - and 'lay hands on him'. But the only thing I could imagine being a worse witness than this idiot was the preacher from the other church beating up the idiot!
As I said, where do I order my "Jesus Loves You - and I'm trying!" t-shirt?
1 Comments:
I'd forgotten about that Fair. Amazing how the mind deals with trauma...
And that "Heaven Or Hell" sign? Mutated into paint and found its way onto both sides of a certain conspicuous passenger van.
I was going to say "emblazoned" onto the van but that seemed like a cheap shot.
Haven't racked my brains trying to remember but I think most of my "make a point" experiences also led to agitation instead of understanding. Guess I don't remember Christ patiently reasoning with very many outspoken religious types either.
Specks and logs. Something about eyes, specks, and logs. "But it's so obvious, Lord. Why can't he see it?! It's huge, I wouldn't even need to use tweezers or anything. I could fix it, if he'd just let me take it out, it must be painful, or at least irritating. I mean, ha-ha, it sure irritates me..."
So, yeah. First things first, right?
By Radioactive Jam, at 1/24/2006 9:13 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home