Facets of the day: I

Gideon-Bible Men

Someone in one of my later classes remarked how the Gideon-Bible distributors seemed to be everywhere on campus today. I could not help but silently agree, though I think my attitude toward the fact was different than his. As he told one of my classmates "You just can't say no [...] it's the Bible and, I'm not religious or anything but you're definitely going to hell or something if you throw a Bible away [...] Freshman year, when we got them, we all put ours together and left them in a corner. That's something you just leave in your apartment for someone else to find, you know?"

I've certainly left my Gideon Bibles sitting around-- perhaps preferring the larger, Old Testament-included variety? There's one in my trumpet case, in case I need it (but I've never opened it). There's one in a home desk drawer. When a pair of men approached me in my complex, I replied "Hey fellas! Oh no... I have several". I thought that was it. It seemed like the right defense-- and I was looking for a way out of the encounter. I'm wasn't sure quite why-- perhaps because I like being able to say 'no'. That was not the end-- those Gideon-Bible men were hanging around the library. This time, I took the headphones off... this one had me. I told him that I'd already seen the gentlemen at West Circle complex... but he pushed a little. Did I have a Bible at home? Yes I did... he quoted a passage to me... "you shall know the truth and it shall set you free." That's actually the scripture I'm using for my short spiel at Wesley next Thursday. "John 8:31, right?" I was proud of myself... that would be the deterrent. No evangelism required, I already had that. He made me promise to keep seeking the word... then told me how Proverbs was such an excellent book on management. Oddly enough, I finished Proverbs right before I started reading John.
Hmmm...
When he asked me what I wanted to do, I told him I wanted to be in Faith communication and that I was in the RCC. I thought that would really do it. It was true, but some voice inside me was going "Really? Does he believe you... are you really going to do that or is that just the advantageous answer for this man?"
After I promised to read something by James Dobson, I finally returned my library book and head on my way.
I ran into another pair working each side of the bridge by the admin building and told them "I already saw the gentleman at the library." Then my brain started to get after me. I was defending myself against my own faith. Later that day, I made the connection between the Bibles in the corner of loud-stupid-guy's apartment and some aspects of my own (and maybe YOUR own faith): we might fear rejecting the Word and the Way, but we don't want to be anywhere near it. So, we're better "safe than sorry", hoarding trinkets of faith that we never use and failing to keep it in our lives and hearts. I also had the jarring revelation that maybe the missing parts of my faith aren't in the private spaces where I study the Bible and pray.

They could be in a commission--in the act of bringing faith to other people.

Sadly, I have to make a fancy dinner. I'm all suited up and ready to leave... more later...