This past weekend, I was out spending time with a friend for her birthday, when a group of ten guys who were part of a bachelor party came and surrounded us. They were actually really nice, respectful guys, and since the night was still young, they were still mostly lucid (with the exception of the soon-to-be-groom). So, I began a friendly dialogue with a few of them. I’m not normally someone who talks to random strangers at bars, but I figured, well, they seemed nice enough, why not?
We exchanged all of the typical basic info: name, occupation, hometown, and hobbies. I found out one of them really liked metal and that his current fitness trainer was one of the band members of Atreyu, which I found interesting. I asked them how they all knew each other, and they told me stories about how they knew the soon-to-be-groom at various stages of his life – some from childhood, others from high school, and a few were were current co-workers. They told me about some of the funny stories they had of high school memories, being rebellious teenagers, and wreaking havoc. They mentioned that since then, they have grown and become responsible adults for the most part. So then they asked me what I was like in high school, and I answered that I was the over-achieving Asian girl who was really involved in church. One of the guys (who also flatteringly asked why an attractive, smart girl like me didn’t have a boyfriend) asked me if I was still involved in church, and I said that I am and that I have two master’s degrees in biblical studies and theology. That’s when the soon-to-be groom exclaimed, “Well, we’re all atheists!” and the guy next to me said, “But God still loves us right?” with a smirk on his face. While I caught the sarcasm in his tone, I still enthusiastically replied, “Yes! Yes, He does!”
The guy next to me proceeded to tell me that the soon-to-be-groom spoke to soon, and that he was more agnostic than atheist. He told about how he had read the Bible, thought it was an interesting piece of literature, had good moral teachings, thought Jesus was a good prophet, but thought some of it was historically too far-fetched. “But, I respect people who believe it, if that’s for you.” We also talked about some of the atrocious things people have done in Christianity’s name like the Crusades and Inquisition. At this time, I admitted, that there were some things that were done by people in the name of Christianity that were horrible things, because they were people and people are broken. I also said that since I’m a Christian, that I did believe the Bible was true, that God is real, that Jesus is God, not just a prophet, and that life is about a relationship with Him. I said that I wanted to spread the love that I believe I have already received from God. In response, he took his glass, and said, “Well, it doesn’t seem like you are out to hurt anyone. Amen to that,” and gave me a toast.
In reflecting upon this experience, since it’s not everyday that I get to share my faith to someone who hits on me at a bar, I am grateful for the opportunity. Not going to lie, it’s affirming to have a good-looking guy find me attractive and charming, so I receive that as a gift, even if I did not give out my number to him. Since I currently work at a Christian university, it’s easy to get comfortable in the “bubble” of being surrounded by Christians, and not having as many opportunities to share my faith with non-Christians. So, I’m grateful for the opportunity that even on an unexpected occasion, I had a conversation about faith. I don’t know what will happen to that guy, but even in these moments, I know God can work and use whatever situation for His good purposes.
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