One-Sided Conversation

4/13/18              Tom (video)                 60

Okay, not all outreach conversations go that well….

Although most people are cooperative and friendly when I initiate Gospel conversations, there are exceptions.  I found Tom, 60, on a park bench and asked if I could record our conversation around the question “What do you think happens after this life and how did you arrive at your present belief?”

Tom took this as an opportunity to get on an atheistic soapbox, speaking directly to the camera audience rather than just having a conversation with me as most people do.  I am usually able to ask good questions that help people to remember past experiences, to self-reflect on their current beliefs, and to open up to new ideas.

Not so with Tom.  My question provoked some negative memories and his anger escalated toward his Roman Catholic background as he went on.  Since he was speaking to the camera rather than myself it was difficult to jump in and contribute with a listening ear, a nod of understanding, or a voice of reason.  It really helped me appreciate even more the value of non-verbal cues in face to face conversation, as opposed to the limitations of communication by text, phone, or one-way video.

The best I was able to do with Tom was to get him to see the Gospel from my perspective as a Christian, and how I would be negligent if I truly believe it but don’t share it regardless of whether it is true or not.  I may have shared the Gospel in an indirect way, but this was a poor approach since it allowed Tom to remain in his role as judge of God, rather than in our proper place as the ones to be judged. 

Why should he be judged?  Romans 1 describes people like Tom, who have no fear of God because they “suppress the truth by their wickedness”.  Later in chapter 3 it describes the role of God’s law, that “every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.”

In the recording, Tom uses some profanity and makes some fairly blasphemous statements, but after further conversation I realized that he is normally a fairly abrasive character and was most likely on his best behavior.  I don’t usually edit my recordings and I am posting this conversation in its entirety, negative as it is, in order to take away the fear of the unknown that keeps so many of us as Christians from sharing our faith with strangers.  In the end Tom didn’t hit me - he really didn’t even lose his temper, and after I turned off the camera and he turned to talk to me directly we had a very civil and respectful conversation regardless.  

Conversations like this give me a new understanding of our calling to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”  We may not be able to share that hope in the conversation itself, but at least we will have it for ourselves when we are done!

At one point in the recording, Tom asked the God he doesn’t believe in to bless the camera audience, so please bless Tom with your prayers in return!

See our conversation here.