The Everyday Club

11/12/09 Andre, about 35

His army beret-style hat, dark sunglasses and beard made him look like a black militant, but I found it was easy to start a conversation with Andre because he was in no hurry as he walked down the sidewalk and proved to be very good-natured. He agreed to answer a few questions about his spiritual beliefs, and told me he believes in God and that we will all be reincarnated as another person after we die, though further questions revealed a lot of contradictions in his thoughts. "We will be different people, that's why we can't remember our past lives except when we feel deja vu, but our next life will be a reward or punishment based on this life." He grew up in a Baptist family, but didn't seem to realize he had drifted away from his church roots until I pointed it out. He quickly forgot about his whole reincarnation theory and returned to biblical beliefs, though he still trusted in his own goodness and cheap grace for salvation. I reminded him of the punishment for sin and that it isn't cheap but cost God his precious Son on the cross. Talking with Andre was a reminder of what happens when we aren't regularly in God's word - we begin to form our own version of truth rather than God's, and I encouraged him to get back to the Bible.