Napverville.... come ON now. I don't even know what to say.
Already I don't really like Naperville, and I feel the liberty to truly say that since I lived there. I realize not EVERYONE has their nose stuck up in the air in that city, but a lot of them do.
Since I've moved back to the suburbs from the mountains I have done my darn best to stay away from that city. The drivers get meaner there, the skin gets more cancerous there (tanning beds), the makeup gets thicker, the douche bags get douchier. You get the picture. It just is. I don't like even merely walking the sidewalks. But that is not the point of this.
The point is the closest Barnes N Noble to me is in Naperville, and I was doomed to drive into the depths of this city to go browse the books. This time around my experience wasn't turning out so bad. I went in, I browsed, (the guy at the checkout line had some serious anger issues, but nobody's perfect) and I walked out holding the door for a couple of folks walking in. Just about to turn the corner for my escape those couple of folks came charging around after me introducing themselves as So-and-so Blah-Blah from the Theological Yadda-Yadda there in downtown Naperville. Okay, I thought, this aught'a be interesting. And, on she goes. And on and on and on and on, "Yadda yadda blah blah, over and over and some more blah blah, and the bible says that God represents both male and female, so he has a feminine side as well. So what are your thoughts on that?"
Let's get a clearer picture of not only what I'm hearing, but what I'm looking at. I'm looking at a trendy girl with point to make. She's standing with one foot closer to me and the other foot back, and from the waist up she is leaning at me, talking at me (not to me, there's a big difference), uncomfortably close to my face, looking me straight in the eye. If she's actually a friendly person, she didn't show it. It seemed like she was ready for a fight.
Back to the "conversation". I respond to her inquiry, "Well that's a really broad thing to just give my thoughts on all of the sudden. Can you narrow down what you're looking for a little bit?" That's a pretty direct question, right? You'd think a direct answer would be simple. But on she goes, "Well, the bible says that yadda yadda blah blah blah blah blah, and blah blah, and Jesus is coming a second time, and he already came once, so when he comes again that will be the second coming of Christ, so blah blah blah blah blah. Are you a Christian?"
"Well, yeah, actually," I responded.
"Would you be interested in getting together to talk about this more?"
"Not really. I have my own church and community that I'm a part of. I'm actually not really interested in talking about this right now, either."
That was a shocker. She was ready for defense at this point.
What would be the proper response to someone who you bothered on the street corner minding their own business who said that they didn't want to continue the conversation? Say, "thank you for your time", and be on your way. What's the very, very wrong way to respond to this? Look to the woman in my face...
"Well the bible says that Jesus is coming a second time, yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda yadda, and on and on and on and on............................" I kid you not, she talked so much I really just stopped listening.
I interrupted getting a bit angry at this point, "Okay, so what is your point here? Are you trying to 'save' me? I told you that I am already a Christan and I'm still not interested in talking about this with you. So can you tell me what the point of all of this is right now? I came in to get my book and go home. Now I want to go home. I'm not interested in this conversation." How many times do I have to say it?
It became clear that everything I say to her went in one ear and out the other, and her voice got louder and more dominant, "Jesus is coming a second time................... blah blah..................... blah blah...............[more loud talking at me]"
I interrupted again, "Listen, I told you I have a church and a community who I can talk to this stuff about if I want to, and right now I don't."
There was a man who was standing off to the left of her and a little bit behind her, her back-up. Finally she gave up on my salvation and looked back at him. He chimed in saying the exact things that this girl kept repeating over, and over, and over, and over again to me about Jesus' second coming, and ends with, "We really need you to just consider this".
Did I NOT just tell you that I wasn't interested in talking about this? Did I not just say that I had a church and community of other Christian folk? Because it sure as hell sounds to me like you're still trying to save my soul? Have you no ears or eyes?
What really gets to me is that these people are walking the street so of Naperville doing whatever they're trying to do, in people's faces, and refusing to listen to the other person. They are so ready for a fight, for someone to disagree, and they can't even tell when someone is NOT disagreeing, they just simply don't wish to engage when someone pulls them away from their day and refuses to let them go.
These people are representing Christians. It really makes my blood boil. That was far from a Christ-like encounter, and in the name of Christianity.
I'm having horrible flashbacks to prayer and witnessing nights in high school going on the streets with other youth group members and talking to people in Naperville about Jesus. Let's see how impersonal we can make Christianity. Let's see how annoying we can be. I actually ache for the people that get encountered on those sorts of things. What a travesty.
I do commend the courage it takes to walk up to someone and just start doing that. I do commend the passion one must have to do this in such a way. But really don't agree with it. Maybe in another time, another place, or another culture. Not here, guys, not here.
Not only is it pissing off those who are not Christians, but it's pissing off those who are.
I still have no idea what the student's point was. They were very defensive and kind of offended by the end of the "conversation", which is a shocker. They're offended? Who pulled me away and talked at me in my face with disregard to anything I had to say?
After the man told me to "consider this" I stared at him with my eyebrows raised and said, "Okay" in an angry tone, and walked away. My grace was gone. I had none for them. Not entirely Christ-like on my end either, but it seemed as though there was no other way to escape.
Who is raising up Christians like this? I'd like to write a letter and let them know what's on my mind.
