So today as I was waiting for my friend Morgan to meet me for coffee in Starbucks, I decided to read the bible for a little while. Interestingly enough a man came over and asked me if i was studying the bible. I told him sure, I am reading it, and he asked what language the bible was in and what religion I was. I had a hard time answering this but told him I was a follower of Jesus Christ.

His name was Ernest, he’s African American, older–probably in his fifties, and well dressed and not in a hurry. He asked if he could share some verses with me. We turned to them together, read them together. Ernest asked me what I thought they meant, and then he explained to me what his people thought they meant. It was quite interesting because I don’t think he ever quite understood the answers I gave him or questions I asked back to him.

I asked him what religion he was, he said I probably already knew. But as we began ending the conversation Ernest asked, “So what do religion do you think I am?” I replied that I didn’t really care, and that I was glad that he had faith in God and that he was more interesting as a person to me than what religion he was. He seemed taken back by this. Our conversation ended as Morgan had arrived and Ernest left me with a book explaining the answers to all my questions (so he said). He also invited Morgan and I to a spinning class he teaches at St. Mary’s (hospital) and went on his way.

As he was sitting there doing what he said he always does, and as I was trying my hardest to not preach back, but to just listen, I remembered…God loves him too. It was quite an amazing experience and was so odd to me that this event happened in the midst of all we have been talking about (in the Doable Evangelism Course). Needless to say I am praying for him, too.

–Candace