The Everyday Club

2/15/10 Salvador, about 60
I arrived early to a church meeting so I went to McDonalds to look for a conversation. I don't know enough Spanish to talk to anyone there, so instead I headed to a nearby Jewel grocery store and met Salvador, who was happy to talk about his religious beliefs and background. I have learned that people love to talk about themselves as long as I am asking good questions and genuinely hearing and responding to their answers. This can't be faked - people see things in our body language, such as a quick glance at a wristwatch, that tell them if we are truly listening. If I try to manipulate the conversation into an evangelistic "script" people sense this also. The beauty of "law and grace" evangelism is that I can enjoy a genuine conversation for almost any length of time, knowing that a few questions about God's commandments will usually get their attention spiritually. Salvador told me about his experiences growing up in the Catholic church in Mexico, and his experiences with corrupt priests and prayers to various saints. Eventually I began to ask about how well he has followed the Ten Commandments, talking about several individually. He responded with various excuses and even a story of how he almost killed a man for herding cattle on their corn field. He admitted his guilt but I saw no evidence of godly sorrow. I felt that sharing grace would have been premature and pray that the law I shared will do the work of conviction God designed it for. (Romans 7)