CrossRoads Farm

Billy Graham - Beware

08 July, 2005 - 8:11 am

Last week I took the chickies up to Montpelier for lunch and window shopping. Their favorite place to eat – in the world- is a little diner on the corner of Main and State streets called Coffee Corner. If you are ever in Montpelier check it out. We got there at about 11:15 to avoid the lunch rush. By non there are usually people standing on the sidewalk waiting, even on rainy days.

After lunch we crossed the street to Cool Jewels – a store that sells beads and jewelry making supplies. We hit an art gallery where the lady let us try out some clay whistles. Then the new age store where the girls tried on these gorgeous beaded headpieces. Then we ended the afternoon at Woodbury Toys and Gifts – the upscale toy store on State Street. All of this took most of the afternoon. It was hot and we were tired so we headed back to the car. I had parked on the street near City Center, which is a mall of sorts, and hen we reached the intersection I noticed a man standing on the corner with a bible in his hand. He was preaching in a loud but somehow barely intelligible voice. K pressed the button to activate the pedestrian crossing signs and we listened to him while we waited for the lights to change. H looked up at me, “Is that man speaking English?”
“Yes, honey, that’s English.” I said as the sign switched to WALK and we crossed. We were only halfway across when H said, “What is he doing?!?” She was loud enough that the man could have heard her if he’d been paying attention, but he wasn’t.
”He’s preaching, honey,” I said as we passed the man.
K peeked over her shoulder for a moment as we went by and when she looked back at me her expression was that of a person truly puzzled. “Why??”

By this time we had reached the car. I told the kids I would explain in a minute. So I got them in and turned the engine over so I could run the air. As I pulled out of the space I told them, “The man is preaching on a street corner because he wants to tell people about Jesus.”
“Yeah,” said K, “But why?”
I stopped at the light where we had crossed and we could she the preacher though the window, but we couldn’t hear him. “He is hoping to convince people that they want to become Christians.” I tried to say that sentence as evenly as possible – without judgment.

There was a pause in the back seat and then K said, “Well, that’s just rude, isn’t it??”

I have somehow – brilliantly – taught my children that evangelism is nothing more than bad manners.

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