September 24 - 30

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:3

9/24/09 Cecil, 61
On my way home after work I stopped at a crowded Starbuck’s to see if I could find anyone to talk to. The first lady I asked seemed like she would have liked to talk but was waiting nervously for someone to arrive for a job interview so she declined. The second was an older African-American man named Cecil. I asked if he had a purpose in life. “I ask God every morning when I get out of bed what He would like me to do. It’s not about me – sometimes he has me doing things that don’t seem to benefit me at all.” He told me he believes in God but when I asked him what he thinks God is like he described Him more as an energy source than a personality. Heaven and hell exist but not separate from this earth – “I think when people see my characteristics in the lives of my descendants then they will know that I am with them. I asked if he feared God. “Of course, why shouldn’t we? He holds our entire eternity in His hands.” He believes he will be in Heaven, not because he deserves it, but “because Jesus died in my place. He paid for my sins on the cross”. Cecil has a few unbiblical ideas, but one thing he seems sure of is his salvation through Christ alone.

9/25/09 Kosta, Staly, Maria, Chad
On the IIT campus I walked up to a group of what I thought were four students but quickly found it was a mother, father, and high school aged brother who were there to visit Maria, an IIT student. They agreed to answer my questions and I soon found out that all except Chad were from Bulgaria. The mother, Staly, told me a lot about growing up in the Orthodox Church and the government repression against the church there. Her only sense of spirituality now comes from feeLling the presence of the spirits of her departed relatives. Kosta, her husband, thinks his soul is made of energy that won’t disappear. Maria smiled, saying “I never knew all this about my parents, we’ve never talked about this before!”. Maria was the most outspoken, basing all she knew on a world religion class she had at a Catholic high school in Minnesota. She thinks it is hypocritical of God to judge anyone since He tells people not to judge others. I asked if she thought we should fear God and Maria thought it would be silly to. I told her that the Bible teaches that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” and that Jesus taught that we should “Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.” She wondered why people of other beliefs would be punished and how any one religion can claim to know the truth. I told her that we are all born with some truth, a sense of right and wrLong called our conscience, but we disobey it, and the Bible teaches that we will be held accountable. I challenged Maria, simply for the sake of being an educated person, to try to get an accurate understanding of what the Bible teaches. “I wouldn’t change my opinion even if I read it five times” she said. Our conversation had grown long, Maria had become a little defensive, and I told the family that I wanted to respect their time together, so we parted. I think I challenged them with some truth but quit before they would refuse to listen to it.

9/28/09 Mike, 17, and Nick, 15
Walking by a row of storefronts I noticed two teens in the waiting area of a tanning salon so I went in to talk to them. Both Mike and Nick believe they will go to Heaven, and that although they “make mistakes” God will overlook their imperfections. Compared to the standard of the Ten Commandments they are aware of their guilt but don’t see it as a big deal. Mike said “we’re still alive aren’t we? God won't punish us." I told him that God delays His judgment because He is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (1 Peter) Both Mike and Nick seemed to me to be too distracted to take the conversation about sin seriously. Fortunately however, God isn't limited to the short attention span of a teenager!

9/26/09 Nick, 24 and Matt, about 22
On my way back from grocery shopping I noticed two Asian men getting out of a car with their faces painted like clowns or mimes. I was curious so I pulled over and asked them about it. They had just returned from a soccer game and were painted with their team colors. With their permission I asked about their beliefs and background. They are brothers with a Buddhist father and a Lutheran mother. They were involved in both faiths but now call themselves humanists. Matt said they don’t believe in God, and hope that others won’t force their beliefs on them. Matt was more adamant about this, and soon excused himself from the conversation. Nick told me he attends a Catholic church with his girlfriend, not because he believes in God but just out of respect for her beliefs. I told him that I am a Christian and asked if I could explain biblical Christianity to him just for the sake of his being more informed about it. He agreed and was a very willing listener. I felt complete freedom to explain the Gospel as best as I knew how. I believe he now has a much better understanding of faith in Christ but the conviction that changes hearts and lives can only come from God.

9/29/09 Benedict and Woo, about 23
The IIT campus is a convenient place for me to stop to talk with people on my way home from work. Today I spoke with Benedict and Woo, two graduate engineering students who are from South Korea and grew up Catholic. Benedict seemed like he knew better English than Woo and did most of the talking. They have both been active Catholics all their lives. They believe in Heaven and hell but not in a judgment day. It seemed to them to be too, well, judgmental. They believe that Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Judaism are all the same religion and worship the same God. I asked if Catholicism was somehow different or more beneficial and they told me that since it is where they have attended all their lives they just feel more comfortable in a Catholic church. I asked "What was Jesus' purpose, why did he come to Earth?" Ben thought it was in order to teach us morals and values. I talked about Jesus' moral teachings, how in most cases He is more strict than the Ten Commandments. I began to give the "good person" questions to Ben. "How many lies do you think you have told?" "Hundreds." "How many lies does it take to be a liar?" He wasn't sure. "How many murders does it take to be a murderer? He saw my point, and seemed to get louder and laughed nervously as I went on, coming up with a lot of excuses. For example, he asked "If murder is wrong, what about a soldier who kills someone in battle?" Suddenly he told me they needed to get somewhere, late for class I think. I gave Ben some info before we parted.

9/30/09 Jerell, about 50
After a hectic day at work I needed some nature and solitude so I went to a desolate area on Lake Michigan. Far down the shoreline I saw an African-American man sitting on a rock. He seemed to be soaking in the sunshine and praying or meditating. I wondered at this and went to talk to him. After the usual pleasantries I said "I have a question for you." Go right ahead, he said cautiously. "I see you enjoying the sunshine and the fresh breeze and waves crashing on the rocks. What does this all make you think about God?" His face transformed into a huge smile. "I see His glory and His majesty!" he said. We talked about the importance of getting away to spend time with God. "Now don't get me wrong" he said, "we can be in God's presence no matter where we are, but there's something about getting out in His creation." I asked if he read the Bible and he pulled a big well-read Bible out of his duffel bag. We talked about the uniqueness of the Bible and how we keep learning more from it as we go through life. I told him about my recent revelation on the importance of sharing the law before we share the Gospel, because most people see themselves as good people. He said "You don't have to tell me, I know that even in my best moments my righteousness is like filthy rags compared to God's holiness." After a wonderful conversation, we prayed for each other. Jerell was so fired up by this conversation, I could hear him whooping and hollering to the Lord from a block away as I walked back to my car.

Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said: "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand.” Job 38:1-3

9/17/09 Craig, 26

On the campus of IIT I stopped a young man coming down the sidewalk, cigarette in one hand and a McDonalds bag and drink in the other. He believes in a higher power who shows itself through déjà vu. The more often he feels like he has already done something before the more he feels assured that “I am on the right path”. He thinks his soul is just energy that doesn’t disappear upon death, yet he expects there will be no conscious awareness either. He went to a Baptist church with his parents until age 8, at which time his parents disagreed with its teachings and left the church. They felt the church members were hypocrites for judging them on things like their smoking. Craig said “God is what you understand him to be”, He said he believes Jesus, Muhammed, Buddha and other religious figures all share the same reincarnated soul. I asked if it is possible that the Bible is true about God and judgment day. He agreed it could be. “How would you do, standing before a judge with your eternal destiny at stake?” – and after I pointed out his guilt in the mirror of the Ten Commandments (James 1:25) he said “but there’s always the Jesus clause – I believe in Jesus so I’m saved.” I explained what true faith in Jesus looks like, involving repentance and obedience. Craig finally stopped talking and began to listen (Romans 3:19) I shared the Gospel as best as I could, and he listened intently.

9/18/09 Gail, about 45

After the White Sox lost today I gave out million dollar bill tracts to the groups still partying in the parking lot just a few blocks from my house. Gail was enjoying a beer by her truck with her adult daughter while they waited for her husband in the port-a-john line. I had short conversations with most of the groups I approached, but somehow engaged in a more in-depth discussion with these two. They told me about their community, a Catholic parish in a Chicago suburb and how supportive it is of all aspects of their lives including their faith. I agreed that God’s intention is for His church to be so much more than a Sunday service; it should be the center of life for God’s people in a community. I began to ask about the life to come – what do they base their hope of heaven on? “I think God will tell me ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’ and I will be welcomed into heaven. I always do my best, and I think that’s all God asks of us.” I asked, “If there was some other way for us to get to heaven, why would God allow His Son to suffer on the cross?” By this time her husband had returned and I felt his body language was telling me I was wearing out my welcome. After a long coversation I couldn’t help Gail get beyond her faith in her own goodness so I said goodbye to her and her family and trusted them to the Lord.

9/19/09 Joe, about 25

On my way into a guitar shop I noticed an employee step out for a cigarette. He was heavily decorated with tattoos, body piercings and hardware, and he surprised me with his answers to my questions. I asked if he felt he had a purpose in life and he told me “whatever it is that God wants me to do”. He told me he will be with God in heaven “because I’ve asked for forgiveness, and God will always forgive.” He told me he grew up Catholic, went his own way for several years, and has now been a Christian for three years and attends a Pentecostal church. He had been with his father in his final stages of cancer about two months earlier and his father had finally come to a place of brokenness and sorrow for his life of sin. Joe told him that he just needed to ask for forgiveness and he could be saved. I tried to gently let Joe know more about real forgiveness - that it isn’t cheap because God satisfied His demand for justice by giving His own Son to die in our place on a cross. Jesus said “by their fruit you shall know them”, and from what Joe told me there has been fruit in his life – he has a living faith as written in James 2. Yet I wanted to help Joe communicate his faith more accurately – it is faith in Christ that brings forgiveness, not just faith in a forgiving God. Merely semantics? Maybe, but so important when helping the lost come to faith in Jesus.

9/20/09 Jeff about 20

I hadn’t been in a witnessing conversation all day and it was raining heavily so after an evening church meeting the only place I could think of to find someone to talk to was a grocery store. I gave a young man with a skull jacket and other death-oriented decorations a million dollar bill tract. I pointed out the question on the back, “Will you go to heaven?” and asked if he was a good person. He said he was, but when he began to read the questions based on the Ten Commandments he said he didn’t believe in Christianity anyway. “I think I’ll be reincarnated.” I asked if it was at all possible that the biblical teaching of judgment was true and told him that truth doesn’t change just because we refuse to believe it. He claimed to have checked out Christianity and has chosen to follow Wicca with its belief in the Sun, Moon and Mother Earth as energy spirits. He asked why I approached him in particular. “Was it because of my appearance? Were you judging me by the way I dress? Why do Christians try to force their beliefs on others?” I told him I sincerely want to see him in Heaven one day and asked if he would at least check out the booklet I gave him. In hindsight I think Jeff would have responded more positively to an interview approach, because he enjoyed talking about his beliefs and would have then been more open to mine.

9/21/09 Mike, 21 and Nico, 16

While out doing some errands tonight I parked along the sidewalk and went for a walk in order to strike up a conversation. At a busy intersection I ran into Mike, who I hadn’t seen in several years but was obviously still running the streets like he had been when he attended the youth center I used to direct. He was glad to see me but obviously preoccupied with the street life, checking out every car that passed, answering frequent cell phone calls, and greeting friends who came by. The hours of “friendship evangelism” at the youth center had resulted in no real conversations to clearly share my faith on an individual level so now I decided to take the initiative with some direct questions. He told me his purpose in life is to take care of his 2 year old daughter; he believes in a god who is “like an energy source”; says he is a committed Catholic (though he later said he hasn’t attended mass in a long time); and believes he will be reincarnated as an animal when he dies. His younger friend Nico thought the same thing. They both believed if there is a judgment day they would be found to be good people. I went through several “good person questions” based on the Ten Commandments and they realized they aren’t good like they thought. Our conversation was fragmented with many distractions and interruptions. I forged on into telling about our hope in Jesus, but with all the distractions and their lack of conviction I think it would have been better to just warn them of the judgment to come.

9/22/09 Mark, 38

On my way home after my evening class I stopped at Burger King and asked Mark, sitting at a table, if I could ask some opinion questions. “Do you have a purpose in life?” “I’m here to guard the light from darkness” he said. He is a Star Wars fanatic, and explained that he sees life as a battle between the light and the dark side. He said he gave up on Catholicism a few years ago because of the priest scandals. He now believes all religions are the same but favors Buddhism, though when I asked he didn’t seem to know too much about it. He believes his soul will be reincarnated but his spirit will wander the earth as a guide, and claims to have had memories of some of his past lives through the help of a psychic friend. I was truly interested to hear about all this and more, but when I began to ask him if we should fear God and how he would do if there is a judgment to come as the Bible teaches, he forgot about these other beliefs and listened very closely as I helped him see his guilt according to God’s law and the hope he can have for eternal life based on God’s grace in Christ. He was very positive about it all, took some more info to read, and thankful for the conversation.

9/23/09 Rob, 24

At the IIT campus I stopped Rob on the sidewalk with some questions about his purpose and aspirations in life. He is a professional musician with his own band, feels led in various directions in life through feelings or coincidences that he believes is a higher power, grew up attending a United Church of Christ, plays piano on Sunday mornings for two “more liberal and politically active” churches, and is involved in many of the leadership decisions of one of those churches. He has been exploring many different theological ideas, but seems pretty firm in his opinion that “a loving God would not send any of his children to hell”. I told him that I have struggled with the idea of hell myself, (and why shouldn’t we? It’s a very scary thought), but I recently read through the four Gospels and found out that it is true that Jesus spent more time teaching about hell and warning about the judgment to come than he taught about Heaven. Rob was as surprised by this as I was, and I challenged him to read the Gospels for himself for this purpose. He said God would say he is a pretty good person so I asked him questions on the commandments as a “good person test”. Rob knew he was guilty but said “I believe God is beyond technicalities.” I told him “that’s like saying the truck that is about to hit you will be as soft as pillows – it is the hard and uncompromising truth, not our ideas or preferences about truth, that really matters in the end.” Rob listened closely as I shared law and grace, and agreed that he had a lot to think about as we parted.

September 8-16

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

September 1 - 7

"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? Matthew 18:12

9/1/09 Megan, about 25

I was early to my night school class so on the way I asked a young lady walking her dog into a park if I could ask a few questions about her spiritual beliefs. “I know its taboo to talk religion or politics” I laughed, but she said it would be no problem. Megan grew up Catholic and now attends church only on major holidays. As for life after death, she told me that the Buddhist idea of attaining nirvana or reincarnation seems logical. She thinks Jesus and salvation are just man-made tales designed to teach morality. “I don’t think I will remember this life” and believes she may have had a life before this that she doesn’t remember. She does believe hell exists “but only for really bad people like murderers”. I told her that Jesus taught that calling someone else a name in anger will put them “in danger of the fire of hell” and Megan seemed a little shocked. I asked her “How would you do if the Bible is true, and we are held accountable to God for our actions?” She firmly believes she is a good person. I began to talk about some of the Ten Commandments, but her dog was very distracting and she seemed like she was only comfortable in polite conversation where one avoids disagreement at all costs. She agreed to read some literature I gave her. In hindsight, when I want to talk to people as they walk their dogs, I think I’ll talk to them on their way out of the park, after their dog is done with its business!

9/2/09 Maurice, 25

At a Border’s Bookstore I asked a young man named Maurice about his beliefs as he browsed through some books. “I don’t believe there is a God, and I think after we die that’s the end”. He told me he grew up in a very strong church where many people claimed to have had spiritual experiences, but he never experienced God personally and lost interest when he left home at age 21. “What would God have to do to get your attention?” I asked and he told me “something drastic like a near-death experience” might convince him. “Until that happens, I‘ll take my chances”. However, as I asked him how he might be judged by the standard of the Commandments, he realized that not believing in God is a luxury he couldn’t afford. Like so many with a church background, he had believed that if there is a God, he was good enough for heaven but to deny His existence meant that he could live his own way. He claimed his concern for people of other beliefs also kept him from belief in a biblical God, but I reminded him that it is our sin, not our unbelief, that brings condemnation, and if he is truly concerned for others the best thing to do is put his faith in Christ and then tell others about Him as well. We had a long fruitful conversation, and Maurice told me that I might just have been the sign from God he was looking for.

9/3/09 Rich and Chris both about 30

Out on a bike ride I approached two guys playing basketball in a back alley. They stared at me as I rode up to them, wondering what I wanted. Rich looked intimidating with his head shaved bald, multiple tattoos and piercings, muscle shirt and bodybuilder physique, but he was the one who was willing to answer my questions about his spiritual beliefs. He grew up Catholic, attended Catholic elementary and high schools and even served as an altar boy for Pope John Paul during his Chicago visit. He has since fallen away from church, and doubts God’s existence because the world is so unfair. He doesn’t believe in eternal life but sometimes wonders if there is more after this life. He said “I’ve been shot nine times and I’m still alive, and that makes me think I’m here for a reason”. He does believe himself to be good enough to go to heaven if there is one. He answered a cell phone call and had to leave so our conversation was cut short. I was glad I had gospel tracts to give them, because despite the distractions, at least our conversation may have helped raise enough interest for them to read the gospel message later on.

9/4/09 About 50 people

I have used “million dollar bill” tracts as a light hearted conversation starter, and they worked well tonite after a White Sox game. I walked around to different groups partying in the parking lot, not trying to start long conversations but talking long enough to create some interest or curiosity in reading the back of the tract. A typical conversation began when I’d say “Hello, I’m giving out souvenir million dollar bills – would you like one with Obama or Reagan on it?” I had others with celebrity caricatures on them, and I’d give them to whoever could guess who they were. After some laughs someone would usually ask what it’s all about and I’d say “These are great collector’s items, but on the back is a good person test. Are you good people?” They almost always enthusiastically said they were. “Well you look like good people! But when you get a chance I’d like you to take this test – it’s harder than you think. I failed it myself, but maybe you can do better than me!” Sometimes people would start reading it, and I’d say “It’s based on the Ten Commandments. How do you think you’ll do?” They’d often say “Oh I’ve kept them pretty much. Nobody’s perfect.” I’d say “That’s what the Bible says – none of us have kept them perfectly so then the question is ‘Are you are good enough?’ ” Then I’d wish them a good evening and be on my way. This left a lot of questions unanswered, but that’s the point in encouraging larger numbers of people to seriously consider the bad news of the law and the good news of grace on the back of the tracts.

9/5/09 Tony and Eleanor, about 60 and 45

During a shopping excursion to the suburb of Brookfield, Illinois, I took some time to look for a witnessing conversation by asking people for their opinions. After 3 rejections a couple at an outside table at Caribou Coffee invited me to sit down with them. Tony viewed God as being like Mother Nature – a supreme power that nurtures rather than judges. He believes in a heaven and that everyone will be there because God is forgiving. Eleanor grew up in a black Baptist church and had more biblical views of God, judgment, and heaven and hell though she didn’t know much about what role Jesus has in salvation. Tony asked some very good and personally challenging questions but for the wrong reasons – to refute various biblical points I made – and Eleanor came to my defense. She had good questions of her own, wanting to know why we need to have a daily attitude of repentance if we are forgiven of our sins once and for all, for example. Tony, frustrated that he couldn’t poke holes in my logic, said “I’m just sitting here enjoying a nice sunny day and some coffee with a beautiful lady, I’ve had a beautiful place to stay in a beautiful town for three months now – why would I want to think about what happens when I die? I just want to enjoy the present.” Nonetheless, we had a long conversation with good questions, and I believe they both gained a clear understanding of biblical salvation.

9/6/09 Jerry, 66 and Jeanette, about 40

Out for an evening walk I talked with Jerry as he sat smoking in his van. I could tell he has lived a rough life. He told me he attended a Baptist church years ago and thinks there is a God and hopes there is a heaven, but his poor health and sinful lifestyle have given him an attitude of defeat and resignation about his fate. About this time Jeanette walked up to us, a local drug addict and prostitute whom I’ve avoided even making eye contact with because she takes any attention from men in entirely the wrong way. I welcomed her into the conversation, seeing it as a great opportunity to share the Gospel with her in an appropriate setting. I didn’t need to dwell on sin too much, following Jesus’ example of “law to the proud and grace to the humble”. Instead I focused on God’s love for them, the sacrifice of Jesus for their sins, and their need to receive Jesus through repentance and faith. I asked Jeanette if she had a Bible and she didn’t so I gave her one. She was very grateful for it and gave me a hug as she left. Jerry didn’t seem too willing to read anything too long, so I gave him a short tract to remind him of what he had heard. I shared the gospel as clearly as I could, but I could tell by their lack of questions that much of it went over their heads. I’m only sowing seeds after all. God can make them grow.

9/7/09 Subodh about 23

While on an errand I began a conversation with two IIT graduate students from India as they sat in a park near a parking lot. They had refused to accept my “million dollar bill” tracts, but asked what they were all about. I explained that on the back it asks an important question about heaven. I asked about their spiritual background and they were glad to explain their Hindu beliefs. They believe in a supreme being they called Ram, the sum total of all the gods, spirits, and souls of people. Subodh described his life as “like a puppet on strings”, and his definition of morality was whether he followed his fate or not – irregardless of whether the actions were ethically moral. They seemed to be very glad that they really weren’t responsible for their actions. If they acted immorally, they could blame fate. To think about eternity was to question fate. However, if they defied fate for selfish reasons, they would hurt their Karma and possibly be punished. They said this is why they refused to take the million dollar tracts I offered. Their beliefs seemed very different from what I’ve learned about Hinduism in the past. Subodh’s friend left for a phone call, but I asked Subodh if he had a basic understanding of Christianity. He had seen “The Passion of the Christ” but that was about the extent of it, so he listened to my explanation of the Gospel just as patiently as I had learned about Hinduism. I think he understood it all on an intellectual level and I left him some literature to read more. Please pray for Subodh, his friend, and also for a homeless man named Carlos who had listened in as we talked.

August 24 - 31

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Romans 10:14

8/24/09 Brandon, about 25

While out riding bike I rode past a security guard for a construction yard. I introduced myself to Brandon who was on a break and glad for someone to talk to. When I asked him to describe his spiritual beliefs he didn’t hesitate to say he is a Christian. He had attended church with his grandma as a child, and got baptized while attending with his mother in his teens, but had stopped going to church about five years ago for no particular reason. He has a child but has broken off the relationship with her mother. He has had several near death experiences, having been shot and stabbed, but when I asked what he believes about eternal life he said that heaven or hell are what you make for yourself while on earth, and after he dies he believes we will just “go to sleep” “Why then, did Jesus die on the cross? What was that all about?” I asked, but he honestly didn’t know. If there is a judgment day “God would say I’m a good person because I believe in Him” he said, but I reminded him that even the devil “believes” in God, but true belief is life changing. Brandon gladly listened as I shared the Gospel and challenged him to real, life-changing faith in Christ. He was glad when I told him I will bring him a Bible, and thankful that I stopped to talk.

8/25/09 Mark, Tiffany, and Valerie

During Vacation Bible School at our church, a couple walked by on the sidewalk and we invited them in for coffee. One of the women of our church, Chris, introduced Mark to me before engaging his girlfriend Valerie in conversation. Mark and I stepped out on the sidewalk in the cool night air to talk. Since I was associated with the church it was easy to inquire about his church background and beliefs. He only attended church a few times as a child – he is now 38 – and he really seems to be floating through life without giving God or eternity a second thought. As we talked a neighbor girl, Tiffany, 14, began responding to some of the questions I was asking Mark. At first this was annoying but I realized that since Mark hadn’t given much thought to matters of faith he really didn’t have many preconceived beliefs to talk about. Tiffany thought that we just ask God for forgiveness and we can go to heaven. We talked about God’s justice which requires punishment for sin, and how in his mercy he has sacrificed his own Son in our place. Mark responded positively but I believe it will take a lot more time and questions before he might come to repentance and faith in Christ. Meanwhile, Chris had a fruitful conversation with Valerie, a Jehovah’s Witness, who showed heartfelt conviction as she realized her good works could never earn forgiveness for her sins. Both Mark and Valerie were challenged in different ways, and I hope they had a lot to talk about after stopping in for coffee.

8/26/09 Arindam, late 20’s

While he stood on the sidewalk in front of his apartment building for a cigarette, I asked Arindam, a University of Illinois doctoral student from India, if he would answer some questions about his spiritual beliefs for an informal survey. “How many questions?” he asked suspiciously. Half an hour later, it was he who was asking me the questions. Arindam grew up Hindu, but doesn’t believe in organized religion. He tries not to judge anyone else in any way, and avoids concepts such as absolute truth and morality, preferring instead to talk about “ethics”. When asked how he would do if judged according to the Ten Commandments, he told me he would do badly because he breaks many of them. When I told him I am a Christian, he had many questions for me and proved to be very knowledgeable about the Bible. He said he had attended a missionary school while growing up in India, which I assume was Christian. We talked about how Jesus’ teachings affirm and complete the law, and how one purpose of the law, which one finds impossible to obey perfectly, is to help us see our need for God’s mercy. Arindam asked me why Jesus came, and I had the privilege of telling him. Please pray for this thoughtful young man, that he will continue to seek truth and that God will bring him to repentance and faith in Jesus.

8/26/09 Harold, about 45

This conversation did not go well. At the grocery store I used a tract to start what I thought would be a good conversation with a middle aged black man named Harold. Judging from his strong accent I thought he was from Haiti or a French speaking country in Africa, but he claimed he was not. He told me he grew up Catholic and was once very serious about becoming a priest, but when I asked about his personal beliefs he became very vague and mysterious. Does he believe in God? “Well I might or I might not, I can’t really say”. After some vague talk about spiritual questions he changed the subject to some of the problems of society and began to grow loud and animated as he talked. He ranted about how public pay phones should offer free 911 calls, and believed that to solve our crime problems “laws should be passed to force gangbangers to go to church.” Harold wasn’t angry at me and we weren’t arguing, but just the same he was getting way too loud for a grocery store. After a few more attempts at getting back on a spiritual topic, I gave up and began to try to break away from the conversation. He asked some questions about my church and said he would like to visit, but never really disclosed any of his personal beliefs. In hindsight I believe his refusal to state any beliefs and changing the subject were just his way of avoiding the thought of any accountability toward God.

8/27/09 Charlie, about 65

In contrast to some recent lengthy conversations, a conversation I had today was so short I can almost remember it word for word, yet I believe a seed was still planted that can grow by God’s grace. My neighbor Charlie has only recently become more approachable after many years of alcohol abuse and negativity. He is now a proud grandpa and delights in taking his grandson for walks around the block. Today I chatted with him on the sidewalk, then asked him about his beliefs. “Well, I’m Catholic” he said. “So you believe in God?” “Sure” he said. “What do you think will happen after you die?” “Heaven, I hope” “Well, I hope so too, and I want to see you there” I said with a smile. “So how do you think God would judge you?” “I think I’d do pretty good”, he said. “So God will say you’re a good person?” “Well, I hope he’ll give me a few breaks” he said. “Well, lately I’ve talked to a lot of people who believe they are going to heaven because they are good enough, but the Bible teaches that there is nothing we can do to earn heaven. We deserve to be punished, but Jesus took our punishment for us. We need to trust Jesus, not our own goodness.” Charlie nodded in agreement. Well that’s basically it, a friendly reminder to a neighbor I see often. Can God grow this seed that has been planted? I believe He can. I pray He will.

8/28/09 Julia, about 30

At a laundromat I asked a young lady if I could ask her some informal survey questions about her spiritual beliefs while she folded her clothes. She cautiously agreed and so I asked her if she could describe what her spiritual beliefs are. She said “I really don’t have any beliefs to talk about, so I think I’m the wrong person to ask”. I told her that I’ve heard a wide variety of opinions, and asked if she had a religious background. Julia is from Russia and grew up going to a Russian Orthodox Church. She has attended one here in Chicago, but basically sees it as irrelevant. She doesn’t really believe in any sort of existence after we die, and claims not to care one way or the other. She believes we all receive whatever judgment or reward we deserve during this life and that’s all there is to it. She finished her laundry and wanted to get going, so I gave her some info on basic Christianity and wished her a good evening. Sometimes “planting a seed” might be as simple as helping a person think about the possibility of eternity. Maybe I could have been more insistent, because after all tomorrow isn’t promised for anyone and eternity is at stake. But God is in control and orchestrates the entire process of redemption involving many people and circumstances. I just pray I can follow His lead, so that He might work through me rather than in spite of me. Please pray for God’s work in Julia’s life.

8/29/09 Guadalupe, 31

I met Guadalupe at a bus stop and he agreed to answer some questions about his beliefs. He told me he believes in God and that after we die we will go to live on another planet which is where heaven will be, and some people will be sent to hell. He believes God will say he is a good person and he is very confident he will go to heaven. He went to church as a child but no longer attends and seemed to disregard any references I made to the Bible. He is very proud that he works hard and pays his bills and said “at least I’m not a gangbanger”. He views his drinking every Friday and Saturday night as his only vice. I asked about some specific commandments and how well he has kept them and he really only admitted to lying, having just told his landlord that he could only pay half the rent so he could have drinking money for the party he was going to. Guadalupe didn’t seem too convinced that God would punish him for his sins, so I just just gave him a friendly warning not to trust in his own goodness for salvation but to put his trust in Jesus. “I want to see you in heaven some day, and you can remember me as the guy who talked to you at this bus stop” I said. We shook hands and went our separate ways.

8/31/09 Jose, Diego, Manny 17

On a sidewalk I stopped 3 young men and asked them about their beliefs. One of them, Manny, is a regular churchgoer. All believe in God, and all except Jose thought we should fear Him. All three believe in a heaven or hell after we die depending on our actions, and that we must be sorry for the bad we’ve done but if we wait until judgment to ask for forgiveness it would be too late. Jose posed some questions. “What if I committed murder in an angry rage, before I thought about my actions?” I questioned whether people really do “lose control”, especially with someone bigger or tougher than them. “That’s what guns are for, and we can’t help it if we lose control when someone makes us so mad”, replied Jose. He went on to ask whether people who are crazy and don’t know any better would be judged by God for their actions. I told them that those are good questions, but then I pointed out that no matter how God judges other people or other situations, we are all still personally accountable for the sins we have done. “When we stand alone before God, we can’t point the finger or place the blame on anyone but ourselves.” As I had talked about some of the Ten Commandments, I think these guys were shocked to hear an adult take God’s law so seriously. I also told them about what Jesus did for them but I believe the real value of this conversation was to help these teens toward a more healthy fear of the Lord, which the Bible says is the beginning of wisdom.