I was walking down 4th avenue today in downtown Seattle, and at the corner of 4th & Stewart there were four men with big signs and pamphlets that read Turn or Burn and Repent and Believe. So, as intrigued as I was, I stopped to have a conversation. Obviously these men are very passionate and dedicated, and if they were willing to stand on a street and yell, then I was willing to listen and attempt to understand where they were coming from.
The man standing on the crate bent over and yelled that “you are not born again and you need Jesus” right in my face. Maybe 1.5 feet away, staring me in the eye. I asked him to tell me more about born again and he told me it was all over the Bible. So I asked him to show me where besides in the gospels and in 1 Peter. He told me Ezekiel 33. When I looked up Ezekiel 33 and it wasn’t there, he told me it’s in 36. When I didn’t find the words “born again” 36 he told me that it’s what the words me that’s important, and that they meant born again. So I asked him about the Hebrew of Ezekiel and the Greek in the New Testament, so as to have a bit more context, and he told me that I obviously need to study up on source criticism.
Funny you ask, angry man, but I just turned in my final paper on source, historical, pre-critical, ecclesial and cultural criticism. How odd and apropos that you bring it up. Let’s discuss!
So I asked him to tell me more about his knowledge source criticism, of the document Q and why Matthew and Luke both probably used Mark as their source text, because I was truly intrigued. I wanted to know his thoughts and what he had studied, as I am in the same field. And I’m not kidding when I say this: he walked away. Literally walked away. To another street corner. Left me standing there with one of his friends.
Then this friend told me that I wasn’t saved, and I asked him how he knew. He said he just did. Ah. Really? That’s your reason? I asked. He said he knew it without breaking his glare.
I walked away with the thought that if that’s Jesus, then I want nothing to do with Jesus.
Thats crazy.
Unfortunately, because they shout, they are the ones that people will think of when they hear the name “Jesus”.
You kind of have to wonder what would happen if they met someone who responded favorably to their signage. Would they spontaniously combust or would they just have to admit that it had never happened before and they didn’t know what to do next?
There was a guy on my campus a couple weeks ago like that. With this guy, a lot of what he said was “true” and could somehow be backed up by snippets of scripture, but he was still preaching hate. It hurt to see people I know being yelled at, girls I know being called whores, Christians being told they’re evil and going to Hell because they’re not holding signs yelling at people. He even had his sons with him. I got to talk to one of his sons for awhile. He was a nice guy, just misguided. I really wish he could have stayed, hung out, and saw how we live.
We have those guys here in Belfast, all the time, most of them have sound beliefs and are passionate and really are doing the best they can, but the people are fed up listening… i saw a guy when i was in Seattle… just near the shopping center, near Abercrombie and Fitch, if you know where that is… and someone challenged him about what he was saying, and he publicly announced that they were a manifestation sent of Satan sent to disturb his ministry, sad…
hey, I may know a few pastors who can “hook you up” as it were, so if you’re ready to “get on the bus”, just let me know…I’ll see what I can do w/ the higher-ups.
I’ll have your signs ready and we’ll see if you will upgrade to a crate.
i hear you, man, i really do. i know a lot of people whose lives really reflect the glory of the Lord, yet the ones that others closely associate with Jesus are those who hold up placards preaching hate. it’s just sad, it really is.
I want nothing to do with that Jesus either.
a little ‘who says this is church’ attitude?
people are so quick to judge, let us take note.
Good thing that’s not Jesus; that’s some very passionate guys who have been very deceived into a belief system that doesn’t hold up to questions, scrutiny, or logical consistency.
Jesus is so graceful with us, isn’t He? I’m so thankful that He tenderly loves me and is compassionate with my closed minded, judgemental attitudes, always guiding me into freedom and away from that sad street corner.
Keep in mind that this whole affair likely has very little to do with their spiritual views, and a great deal to do with their mental state. There are plenty of people on the street who are not receiving the care they ought, and many of them end up shouting nonsense in any ear’s that will listen.
it’s amazing that our Jesus is so filled with grace that it can even cover these guys asses. His love and compassion stretches further than I can get through my head.
I’d actually really dig that discussion about the book of Q, and Thomas too… Heck, maybe I need to go to Mars Hill (YES, that would be cool…)
Anyway, I appreciate your story here and must confess that the Jesus who saved me, did so without making me feel like the piece of crap I believed myself to be. Too bad these fellows, and so many others, cannot achieve the same things… I guess that is why they arent our Saviours. :-)
Have a great time “leaving the country” I try to do that as much as I can… :-)
As soon as you said “if that’s Jesus, then I want nothing to do with Jesus” I did a mental flip through the NT as though it were a rolodex and found nowhere that Jesus ever participated, endorsed or ministered in the manner. If it was good enough for Jesus, then it’s good enough for me!