The Everyday Club

 

6/19/12   Louis, Chloe, "Rugrat" and Mike,  early 20's

Tonight I enjoyed witnessing with Nick, a church brother.  We walked through a neighborhood with strong gang activity, and when we came upon 4 young people covered in tattoos, smoking and cursing up a storm of profanity (except for Mike, who was sort of a straight guy) I just assumed they would also just be caught up in the usual street gang drama with very little thought about the deeper questions of life.  Was I ever wrong!  They initially all claimed to be disinterested atheists, but as the conversation warmed up they all contributed a variety of profound and thoughtful questions that revealed their interest in spiritual things, even if their questions only served to justify their rebellious attitudes toward God.  As it turned out, Mike has just graduated from Loyola majoring in philosophy and human anthropology, but what was really surprising is that his three friends are all high school dropouts but seemed just as critically adept as Mike.  Nick and I sort of tag-teamed our answers, and I was glad to hear his responses to several different questions that I couldn't answer myself.  I'll focus on one here.  "Rugrat" asked "If there was one miracle that could convince me to be a Christian, what would it be?  Nicks answer was so obvious I completely overlooked it -  "It would have to be the crucifixion and  resurrection of Jesus Christ" he told them, quoting from Acts 1: ..."we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God."   He talked about how it was not only a miraculous event, but how the sheer audacity of a God who would give his own Son as a ransom for those who have rebelled against him was simply overwhelming.  Up to that point, the four had only proudly agreed that they are rebels against God if there is one, but now Nick had brought something completely illogical and unexpected into the conversation - the audacious love of God as demonstrated in Jesus.  Louis, Chloe, Rugrat and Mike didn't know what to do with Him.  Please pray that He will show them.