street corners and evangelist...

I hope this comes across the way I desire for it, I’m a little scared to even go here, but what the heck, here I go: I don’t like evangelist, there I said it, now I must add that I dislike most but not all, but most.

The sounds of past “evangelists” are now ringing in my head. Their messages blaring loud, loaded with hate, judgment, and condemnation, void of grace or peace. The image is usually of a white male, overweight, in a white button up dress shirt, passionately (or possibly viciously) screaming out into the masses of innocent people who are unfortunate enough to walk by his message of wreath.

That’s my general view.

I know it’s a very bias view but I’m being honest, and I believe others would share this view with me. (I could explain more why this is so, but that not my point here.)
But today as Pearl and I where walking through the city on our way to her favorite coffee shop (Prince St café) this view was challenged a little. As we crossed over King St. an elderly man was standing on the corner, his face was gentle, he came across as simple, humble, almost like a large teddy bear. He gave me the impression that he could have some mental challenges, but I could be totally off base here, but either way he seemed to ooze grace and peace, like I could go give him a huge hug.

As I passed this gentle giant of a man I noticed he held out little pamphlets of paper for the drivers stuck in traffic to reach out and take.

He said nothing

Just held his pamphlet out

Sun baring hot down on his sweetly forehead, a watermark around his collar

I expected my past feelings to arise, for my amazing ability to judge and condemn and to stereotype to kick in, but it never came,

A swirl of emotions ran around on my inside until a very different emotion stayed still.

One I did not expect

I admired him.

He was sharing what he believed in, gentll, humbly, but none the less against the stares and negative assumptions of the crowds passing by.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about 1 Peter 3:15
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”

He was doing this,

In a way he knew

With gentleness and respect

His form is not a form I normally appreciate,

but his heart I greatly admire

May I live a life of gentleness and respect

May strangers feel like they could come and receive warm hugs from just seeing the countenance on my face

God thank you for giving us a hope worth sharing

But may we now ooze gentleness and respect from our lives in such a way that people are begging to know what’s within.