Turn or Burn

On our way home from our St Augustine getaway, we detoured to the Mt Dora Art Festival, a yearly event which we have enjoyed in the past. We met up with our friends, Jeff & Kathy, and we toured the booths exhibiting a myriad of objects d'art which were, for the most part, quite out of our price realm and when it came right down to it ..... we really didn't need any of it. This particular festival displays a hodgepodge of quality levels ...... a particularly fine artist might be assigned a booth next to an exhibit of 'Art Defecado' and street vendors sell all manner of delicacies which could only be labeled "Carnival Food".

As we made our way to the main intersection of the closed-off downtown area, the sound of a street preacher pierced the din made by the art afficianados of Central Florida. We came closer and saw that about a half dozen of the faithful accompanied the zealous quoter of the scriptures

as they held signs which displayed a 'doomsday' message. The group was canvasing the festival handing out leaflets with the salvation message. Everything the street preacher said as well as the text of their handouts was scripturally relevant. We saw no error in their mission.

So, why was I unsettled about the whole scene? It was almost as if I happened upon an extremeist religious group in the throes of rebellion.

I am a believer in the fundemental teachings of Christ and attend a Christian church ..... just like the street preachers. However, my methodology of evangelism does not include the street scene pictured above. I tend to ascribe to more of a 'lifestyle evangelism' as I personally believe Christ Himself practiced. Christ talked in the words of the common people and wove His teachings into beautiful parables incorporating the customs of His time. So, running into the street preachers was apparently outside my comfort zone and even disturbed me ..... these people with the same fundamental beliefs as myself. Perhaps it is because Christ saved the 'religious' jargon for the pharisees, saducees and teachers of the law - and He didn't waste time putting them in their places when confronted by them - after all, they 'knew it all ' - and so I felt as though the street preacher was coming at the innocent passers-by as if they 'knew it all' - like we were all in rejection of their messages. This glimpse at Christian evangelism was as foreign to me as being approached by a member of another faith with a different god.

Several years back, I was on the same street corner where I witnessed a street sage with a different attitude. His words were angry and his presentation was inappropriate for the sleepy little community out enjoying a beautiful spring afternoon. My wife and I watched and listened at a distance, embarrased that this guy supposedly represented our faith. I told my wife that I needed to go and talk to the guy. She did not encourage it, but I'm a nut job and I went anyway. As I approached him I let him know that I, too, was a Christian. He increased the volume of his homily. I basically let him know that Christ came to earth in love. He spoke in love. He acted in love and eventually gave His life as a sacrifice of love for him (my preacher friend). All the time, he kept up with his sermon, overpowering my promptings to put down his bull horn and listen to a different approach. I did let him know that I thought his approach should be just a tad more Christlike. No response. Oh well. At least he didn't shoot me.

So, am I wimpy? Am I judgemental? Am I luke-warm? Am I right-on? There are more 'sects' to Christianity than Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream flavors and I believe I had encountered just one which caused me to stop, open my eyes and examine who I am in Christ.

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