06.30.06
“Do you believe in Jesus?”
I stopped off at the grocery store on the way home from work Friday evening to pick up a few things. I was almost done. Milk: check; beer: check; etc. The last thing on my list was chips. I love chips and salsa, especially with beer (see previous ‘check’).
I grabbed the bag of tortilla chips, turned my cart around to head to the checkout, and there was a guy with another cart coming up behind me. We were right next to one of those damned stack o’ groceries displays in the middle of the aisle, creating a choke point. For a brief moment, we were facing each other as we both maneuvered around the display. During that time, we briefly established eye contact.
Normally, at times like this, perfect strangers will offer a bland “Hi” or “Hello,” or a generic smile. In case of two men, like this one, I was expecting the ever-popular short head nod: Men’s body language for “wassup, dude?” I was prepared for any of these.
But no. That’s not what I get.
In that split second of eye-contact between two perfect strangers in the middle of the chip aisle in a grocery store, he says to me, “Do you believe in Jesus?”
And me, being pathetically honest, respond immediately with, “Um, not really.”
Luckily, the movement of the carts were such that I could get around him now and keep heading for the checkout. Which was good, because I was suddenly terrified that dozens of people were going to leap out from the shelves and start handing me pamphlets and inviting me to their Sunday service.
I did catch the stunned look on his face. I don’t think he was expecting someone to deny Jesus in the chip aisle. In his experience, most other chip eaters must believe in Jesus.
As I hurried down the aisle, he called out from behind me, “Why would you say that?”
And I, trying not to sound anything like I truly in my heart, really wanted to be Saved, but couldn’t admit it to myself, replied with my most non-comittal: “It’s just not my thing, man.” I made it out of the aisle alive and pamplet-free.
Thankfully, he didn’t engage in pursuit. I checked out fine and made it to my car without further solicitation.
Afterwards, I had to wonder: Why did he ask me that? Was I exuding some non-Christian aura that only Christians can see?
I have an evolve fish on my car, but if he had seen the car and followed me into the store, he should have caught up with me well before that. Or: I had a case of beer in my cart, and some people don’t think that’s very Christian.
Or does he just ask every random person that crosses his path? Is that an acceptable greeting or introduction in some circles?
I dunno. I’ve just never been asked that question so directly by a complete stranger before.
I’ve had many people hope that their good lord will bless me or tell me that their saviour loves me. In those cases, I am a gracious recipient of thier blessings, because I know it is an act of kindness on their part. I don’t really believe what they say, but I apprecieate their sentiment.
People sometimes say those things with a measure of pity in their voice. They seem sad because they are convinced I’m going to burn in their hell. That’s okay, too, I suppose. At least I’ve gotten used to that.
But having a stranger ask me on the chip aisle if I believe in Jesus was a first. It was just so comletely out of context. Surreal. Maybe next time I’ll get crackers. That’s on a different aisle.
phil said,
August 17, 2006 at 4:12 pm
Maybe God is trying to get through to you. I realize you probably don’t believe in him because you have been taught evolution, but if you really look in to it, creationism is more backed by the observable evidence than evolution. I feel this is the best evidence of a God with whom you are accountable.
To learn more about the evidence for creation (and thus God), see http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/index.html. To learn more about how to be a christian, get a bible from a local store and start reading it. I would suggest the New King James Version. If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at pjdeets2 at gmail dot com
I hope you make the right choice,
Phil
Calamity Jen said,
August 17, 2006 at 5:00 pm
Yes, the Almighty often works miracles in the chip aisle. I once saw an apparition of Saint Edam on a Dorito. You should not ignore the orange fingered hand of the Lord when He reaches out to you.
kc said,
September 26, 2006 at 9:21 pm
I cannot speak for anyone else but I can say that I believe, well know, that Jesus exists. I talk to him every day thru prayer, and I can feel him in my heart. Whenever I feel down I can go to him for comfort and guidance.
If you are an atheist, that is your decison, and God gives us that ability to choose. It is wrong for anyone to cast judgement on someone else, saying that you will burn in hell, because through God’s grace he can truly save you.
It may seem weird to you, or you may think that I am weird for saying that I have a personal relationship with Jesus. But it is real. Jesus died for my sins, for your sins. If you invite Jesus into your heart, no matter what you did in the past, he will wipe it clean, as white as snow.
If you still don’t believe in God/Jesus, have you ever proven it for yourself? Have you ever sought any evidence if God exists or not? Not just going by what you were taught or told?
I want to ask you why don’t you beleive in God?
kc said,
September 26, 2006 at 9:35 pm
I cannot talk for anyone else, but I can say that I believe, well know, that Jesus exists. I talk to him everyday thru payer, and I can feel him in my heart. Whenever I feel down I can go to him for comfort and guidance. Jesus died for my sins, and for your sins. No matter what you did in the past he can wipe it clean, as white as snow.
You may be an atheist, but that is your decision. Only you can decide because that is how God made us. It is not right for anyone to cast judgment on another, saying that you will burn in hell. Only God has that right, and you can still be saved thru God’s loving grace.
You might not believe in God/Jesus, but have you ever proven it for yourself? Not just listening to other people’s opinion. Have you ever seeked evidence that there is no God?
I wanted to ask you, why do you believe that God does not exist?
reykjavikingur said,
May 30, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Really? You find that unusual? Why, just last week I was shopping for light bulbs, and a friendly passer-by blurted, “Do you seek refuge in the Buddha?” I shrugged her off, but two days later, when I was getting my car’s oil changed, a fellow customer on his way out the door turned to me at the last second and demanded, “Do you pay tribute to the mighty Thor?” And of course, it must have been about a year ago when I was at the hardware store purchasing some stop-nuts and a well-meaning atheist stockboy inquired of me, “Do you reject phenomenological propositions without sufficient empirical corroboration?” I get these kinds of questions all the time. You must not get out much. :)