Wednesday, March 4, 2009

SHAMEFUL

1 a: bringing shame : disgraceful

This afternoon around 4:30 there was a knock on my door. I thought it might be our neighbor coming over to play, but saw as I headed to the door that it wasn't someone I knew. I opened the screen door to two young girls. The older of the two girls asked if I attended church somewhere. I told her yes and the name of our church. She replied that they weren't trying to steal us from our church, but wanted to know if I died today was I confident I would go to heaven. (What kind of opening gambit is that?!) I replied affirmatively, if somewhat curtly. She then asked if she could ask one more question. I assented and she asked how I knew that I would go to heaven. I told her I didn't want to get in to theology with her, but that I was certain of my salvation.

I really find the whole encounter shameful. The girls were probably high school age - there was an older woman waiting for them on the sidewalk. What exactly were these girls led to believe would happen when they knocked on doors and asked these questions? Call me cynical, but I can't believe anyone is going to just engage with these innocent young girls and come away changed from hardened sinners to repentant believers.

I felt, and still feel, sorry for the girls. I was more abrupt than I should have been. But as I've mentioned before, I'm an introvert, so a stranger knocking on my door is not a situation that makes me likely to engage. Plus, I felt like these girls had been given what the "right" answers were to their questions and I didn't want to get into a long discussion with them about anything. I am comfortable with my faith and with my own pursuit of understanding what I believe, what I question and where the gaps are between those two things. So how was this evangelical exercise going to change that? It didn't.

When I titled this post "shameful" I wasn't thinking of the girls who came to my door, but whoever encouraged them, trained them and brought them from Springfield to East Nashville to do this. I would venture to guess that their experience with me may have been one of the milder ones they encountered. In my neighborhood, some may have been outwardly hostile, even to girls as harmless as these, when approached in this way. And if someone actually engaged with these girls and had additional questions about faith, how was a church 45 minutes away supposed to build relationship? Did they just target my neighborhood because it's a progressive, hip, liberal part of town, so we must all need saving?

Aaargh! Words fail me as I try to explain how this type of evangelism frustrates me. I will say that I can promise you I will never knock on your door and ask you if you're going to heaven. How's that?

5 comments:

Chris and Tiana said...

I've been so behind on blog-reading this past week, but this post struck me as something I couldn't pass by. I totally agree with you because I used to be one of those girls- the girl who was given the right answers and told what to believe. I'm so glad my faith is much deeper than that now, and that it's actually MY faith and not what I was told I was supposed to believe. An encounter like this certainly never would have made me change my mind about anything, but a relationship with someone who was truly walking with Jesus would have. I guess evangelism can come in lots of forms, and who knows- just maybe God can use those girls to speak to someone. But it wouldn't have worked for me, and it's definitely not the way I see myself sharing my faith. I just hope the words those girls are saying really mean something to them, or if not, that they will someday. I get very sad when I see someone regurgitating someone else's faith, just because they're supposed to.

WordGirl said...

Tiana, I completely agree that I hope those girls do now (or one day) believe what they are sharing. An encounter like this one makes me desperate to not tell my children what to believe. That's a tall order, but I'm confident that if I can give them the tools to dialogue with God directly, he'll teach them what he wants them to know and believe.

Carolyn said...

Very interesting. I really don't know what to think of groups that do what you describe. When I was in high school, I remember our youth group going door-to-door in the apartment complex next to our church and inviting kids to attend. It actually seemed pretty effective (I still remember one boy I met that way), but then we were going next door (not across town) and inviting them to an event (not eternal life). Still, I think God can use tactics like this - probably not to reach hardened atheists, but perhaps to reach a lonely senior or searching teen. And while their introductory question could be offensive, at least it's direct; they're not hiding their intentions. And the distance to the church does seem like an issue, but then again I've considered doing outreach work in neighborhoods less churched than mine, so I'm not sure where you draw the line on how far is too far. I do see where you're coming from - just thought it was worth another viewpoint. It was great to see you today! Love, Carolyn

WordGirl said...

Carolyn, You make some good points, but I do think inviting neighbors to an event is very different from what happened yesterday on my street. I think the type of activity you describe has the potential for relationship, which I see as the cornerstone of faith. Relationship between people and relationship with Jesus.

I would never presume to say God can't use activities like these, but I don't think it's responsible for an adult to encourage a child to engage in this type of evangelism. I think the best types of evangelism are those that come from the evangelists' hearts and I just can't envision these girls having designed this activity.

Variations On A Theme said...

Oh, you bring back such memories! Those were the exact questions we were taught to ask, and we had "the Romans Road" and John 3:16 to supply the answers.

I was too young and nervous to actually do that type of thing, so I always felt great guilt, and I never had an answer for "How many souls have you saved?"

I DID however, leave "tracts" in various places in our community. I remember my sister and I putting them all over the waiting room of a car dealership when my mom and dad were buying a car. We thought the ones under the ashtrays would be particularly effective, as anyone who smoked was surely going to hell. As was anyone who listened to rock music, went to the movies, wore pants (if they were girls), had long hair (if they were boys), etc.

Maybe the girls will be completely happy living out their lives in this way. It didn't work for me, though, and it led me to believe (for a very long time) that I couldn't have a share in God.