The other day, as I pulled into my driveway, I noticed a couple of people walking towards my home carrying religious publications. I instantly knew who they were and what they wanted. They are members of a religious group who teaches its followers that, in order to have any eternal hope at all, they must go door to door in an attempt to convert people to their faith. Instant dread came over me upon the realization that in a few short minutes my home will experience a religious intrusion that would definitely not be welcomed.
I thought about a time earlier in my life when I would have invited these guests into my home to debate theology with them, sometimes lasting a few hours. However, I have changed. I really don’t want to talk to them. I don’t like it when people, who I don’t know, knock on my door unexpectedly. I don’t want people infringing on my personal time and space to sell me something. I feel even more strongly about this when people are peddling religion on my doorstep. What was I going to do?
Well, I decided that I would answer the door and politely explain how I felt about the matter. I was going to say something like: “Hi. You know, times have changed. You need to find a new marketing strategy. People really don’t like it when you knock on their doors. They feel that it is an intrusion…myself included. I’m not interested. Please, don’t ring my bell again.”
As they began to step onto my property, my wife noticed my distress. I told her what I was going to do. She didn’t like my plan at all. She said, “Oh no, please don’t talk to them. Don’t answer the door. Just ignore the doorbell.” Then suddenly, the doorbell rang, at which my dog started barking and my 2 year old twin girls raced to the door to see who it was. The intruders obviously could tell that we were all home, right on the other side of the door. My wife begged me not to open it. I told her that I really needed them to know that I didn’t want them coming around again. My wife responded by saying, “Well, let me handle it then.”
She turned toward the door, from within the house, and began to yell, “GO AWAAAAAY!! GO AWAAAAAY!! GO AWAAAAAY!!”
She sounded like some psycho! It was like a scene right out of a movie…maybe One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I couldn’t believe what she was doing. I looked through the window to see the pair of proselytizers slowly backing away from the house. They had this confused and slightly worried look on their faces. It was incredible. I looked at my wife and said, “This is your idea of ‘handling it’.” Then, we both started to laugh.
My wife and I laugh a lot together. It’s usually her making me laugh. I don’t think the religious folks will be back. Maybe they’ll rethink their approach. Then again, maybe not.
I have just been reading your book, about halfway through it. Incredible journey God has you on. He has been working in me as well, causing questions to bring up searches, thus finding answers.
I appreciate your honesty in the blog post here, BUT, are not even “those religious peddlers” the ones you mention in your book as “those in the water” needing Jesus. Why send them away when God has sent them to you?
(p.s. I don’t like them coming to my door either, maybe next time we should just offer them a glass of refreshing water and bid them God’s blessings. Maybe the next time they come back, they will ask us for a glass of “living water.”)
Thanks for those words Ray. I knew that I would probably get a response like yours to my post before publishing it, but I decided to post it anyway. I admit that this is not the best approach. But, it is honest. This happened, and it is what it is. We do crazy things on a whim sometimes.
You are right about the “religious” needing Jesus also. I hope they knock at your door
Maybe they will! Lets keep up our pursuit of Jesus! It is an amazing journey when you take off the “blinders” of religious past and tradition. Told my wife just last night, I would trade it all just for a closer walk with Him! Let us GO and FOLLOW (Matthew 8:22) Jesus and see where he leads! Look forward to watching your journey as I travel mine!
Sounds like our wives are cut from the same cloth. As I read about her “handling it” I saw visions of my own experiences.
I too am reading your JHLTB book. WOW! Thanks so much for writing it. I’ve shared it with several folks who are also reading it.
Last year I traveled across the US most of the year. During my travels I sensed a growing groundswell of change. It became a sensitivity to God at work in new yet old ways. Not a change in how the building-ites (wow… a new -ite) do what they do or how they believe, but a re-discovering of the movement Jesus left his disciples with; a re-discovering of God’s work out in the streets; a re-discovering of the authentic community of believers gathered anywhere at any time. We don’t know where it is taking us, but like you we are watching with wide eyes and doing our best to respond to what we see him doing around us.
Thanks… gonna check Joppa out!
Lol! This is great! Thanks for brightening my day.
I understand completely; after having children, having the doorbell or phone ring – especially during dinner hour – was an intrusion I just couldn’t handle anymore.
I need to remember this approach. In fact, I think I’ll print this out and paste it in the back of my Walter Martin book…