Him: Are you a person with patience?
Me: It could use some help, I'm sure.
H: [hands me a two page handwritten pamphlet with a list of a good 40-50 Bible passages on the front] When you finished reading those would you have more patience?
M: Probably.
H: I can tell you're a man of patience, just because you're listening to me. Now, If someone needs something and you give it to them, isn't that a good work?
M: Yes
H: You know the Bible says that whatever you do for another of God's people you do for Him?
M: Yes.
H: [Holds up his bag. It has that picture on it] What's he doing?
M: Knocking.
H: In Revelation 13: 20, Jesus says he is knocking at the door, just like I'm doing right now. [Sees that I'm wearing my Kyrios cross] What does that thing on your neck mean?
M: Christianity… I'm Catholic. (To his credit, he didn't care.)
H: Now what's on the outside reflects what's in the heart, right?
M: Yes.
H: So if what's on the outside isn't in the heart, it's fake, right?[Guilt trip, I hate that.]
M: Yeah.
He went on to explain that he lived in a tent (the address was on the pamphlet) and ran a Bible study. When I didn't give him money, he asked if I would go to his Bible study. Not wanting to be rude, I told him "I don't know, maybe." He pulled out his Bible and showed me James 5:12 "Let your 'Yes' be yes, and your 'No,' no." I didn't think that that passage was speaking out against the word "maybe", but I didn't want to argue exegesis on my front steps. I gave in and told him no, I probably wouldn't go to his Bible study. He was ok with that and left. I told him I'd pray for him, and I will.
The problem now is that I fee like a piece of crap. I have no doubt that he was legit. He knew the Bible too well and was too good of a speaker to be a junkie. I kind of wish I had given him something.
Man, in hindsight, I never do anything right.
3 comments on this foolish article:
Strange sounds kinda like one of those people that pass out the watch tower pamplets.get a chance check out Blogsmog.com sometime nice blog.later
Now what's on the outside reflects what's in the heart, right?
So if what's on the outside isn't in the heart, it's fake, right?
Thoughts reflect what's in the heart; thought is expressed in signs, words, language. A cross is an expression of something. Is it anymore "fake" than the language you both used to communicate with each other? So maybe the inside the heart=truth/outside the heart=fake dichotomy is bogus.
That's what I would have known I should have said, 20 minutes after he left. :)
Signed,
Some guy who also likes wandering around other people's blogs on blogger.
Wow, I have comments after only 2 days! Thanks for reading and commenting, guys. He wasn't a Watchtower, I think he just was a guy who felt called to teach the Bible. I have a natural gut reaction against people who ask me for money. In most cases, that's a good thing, but this guy seemed legit. He wouldn't give me directions on where to find him if he was just going to go out and get stoned.