The Everyday Club

4/27/12    Bruno,     about 25

My fear of initiating gospel conversations with strangers used to lead me to imagine highly opinionated people reacting with anger, ridicule and even a punch in the nose!  (This has rarely happened to me and I've never been punched, but I am willing to take the chance)  But what about the far more common reaction of indifference?  This was Bruno's reaction today when I met him on the sidewalk.  "Do you think anything happens after we die?"  "Not sure" he shrugged.  "Is this something you think about much?"  "Not really" he said, shrugging again indifferently.  This was typical of his answers to several more of my questions as the conversation was dying before it even got off the ground.  Where to go from here?  I usually go in one or two directions.  Most people like to tell their story, so I go on to ask about their religious background.  If they grew up in a religious household, I inquire as to how or why they fell away from the beliefs they were grew up in.  If not I may ask about their impressions of others who have or their understanding of what the Bible teaches.  I talk about the possibility that what the Bible says is true, that we have a soul that will live on after we die, that we will be held accountable to God for our actions, and the importance of preparing for that possibility.  Usually, a more engaging conversation will start in response to some good questions.  For Bruno however, I could only ask some questions that might spark some interest in reading the gospel materials I gave him later.  Indifference can be hard to handle.  No wonder Jesus said "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!"  Rev. 3:15