Today definitely wasn't boring. I spent the afternoon busing across town so I could stock up on necessities for my next bout of unemployment and groceries. While I was at Fred Meyers' I found a bottle of Port that I really liked on sale so I used some birthday money to buy a bottle and a small bottle of Red wine for a soup I'm making in a couple of days. I got on the bus to the University of Oregon listening to "The Screwtape Letters" and exhausted but in a rather good mood. When I get off the bus, I was walking toward home with heavy bags all over me and I look up to see an LDS Missionary approach me wanting to help. I looked Heavenward where I was sure a certain "Maker of Heaven and Earth" was cackling. After telling him roughly where I was headed and making sure he wouldn't get sent home in disgrace (his companion was somewhere else on campus), he grabbed my bags and started walking. Remember that Port and Red? It was in one of the bags and I internally roared with laughter at having this Mormon kid oblivious to the fact that he was carrying booze in his hand.
As we walk he asked if I was a member to which I brought up my Apostasy. That 4-6 block walk turned into a lightning round of apologetics. We discussed doctrine and why I reject the Book of Mormon and why I don't believe Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. It was a pleasant conversation with no contention. When we got to the edge of campus, I stopped him and told him I could carry my bags from there. He bore his testimony to me and asked me to go to church this Sunday. I made 3 things clear to him: a) I don't hate Mormons b) I'm a devout Episcopalian and am where God wants me to be, and c) that what I was about to say would be said out of love and Biblically sound as I believe the Bible is perfect. I told him that to base his entire testimony on emotions and feeling is dangerous. According to the Bible, Satan lies and uses our emotions to lead us astray. A true testimony needed to be based on scripture as well as personal revelation. Usually, I would be told that I'm hateful and a persecutor but he surprised me. What I told him gave him pause and he could tell that I was genuine and I was speaking out of love for a fellow traveler to the grave. We parted ways and I marveled at this chance meeting. It reminded me of something: the most loving thing we can do for another person is to gently warn them when they are in peril. It's difficult because we tend to worry about being mean or judgemental. I don't know if I planted a seed in him but to hear him say that he could tell that I was speaking the truth in love meant a great deal to me. It's reasons like these why I believe I've been called to ministry. It was a hilarious and touching experience to have at the end of a busy day...
So...if you only had a few blocks to put across a crucial message concerning someone's salvation, what would you want to say?
As we walk he asked if I was a member to which I brought up my Apostasy. That 4-6 block walk turned into a lightning round of apologetics. We discussed doctrine and why I reject the Book of Mormon and why I don't believe Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. It was a pleasant conversation with no contention. When we got to the edge of campus, I stopped him and told him I could carry my bags from there. He bore his testimony to me and asked me to go to church this Sunday. I made 3 things clear to him: a) I don't hate Mormons b) I'm a devout Episcopalian and am where God wants me to be, and c) that what I was about to say would be said out of love and Biblically sound as I believe the Bible is perfect. I told him that to base his entire testimony on emotions and feeling is dangerous. According to the Bible, Satan lies and uses our emotions to lead us astray. A true testimony needed to be based on scripture as well as personal revelation. Usually, I would be told that I'm hateful and a persecutor but he surprised me. What I told him gave him pause and he could tell that I was genuine and I was speaking out of love for a fellow traveler to the grave. We parted ways and I marveled at this chance meeting. It reminded me of something: the most loving thing we can do for another person is to gently warn them when they are in peril. It's difficult because we tend to worry about being mean or judgemental. I don't know if I planted a seed in him but to hear him say that he could tell that I was speaking the truth in love meant a great deal to me. It's reasons like these why I believe I've been called to ministry. It was a hilarious and touching experience to have at the end of a busy day...
So...if you only had a few blocks to put across a crucial message concerning someone's salvation, what would you want to say?
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