Ben's Story
Last night I caught a five hour flight from Washington DC to the city of my sojourn, Las Vegas. It wrapped up an 8 day church planting trip. I would like to retell the story of that flight tonight. I will tell it as a dialogue, but i will also let you see my thoughts, which will be in [brackets]
I was assigned 19 C.
[Good. An aisle seat.]
I sat down and tried not to talk to the girls in the seats next to me.
[I should talk to them. Its the nice thing to do.]
"Hey."
Girls-"Hey."
"Going to Vegas for fun?"
Girls-"Yeah. You?"
[I've had this conversation about a thousand times.]
"I'm going home."
Girls-"Why were you in Washington?"
[I wasnt.]
"Layover. I was in Boston."
Girls-"Business or pleasure?"
[Why did I start this conversation?]
"Both, I guess." [What's the difference, really?]
Girls-"Would you mind moving to the seat behind you so that my friend can see the movie?"
[Yes.]
"No, not at all."
Girls-"Thanks, we'll buy you a drink."
[That's not necessary. Anything to serve you guys.]
"Thanks. I'll take a rum and coke."
Now I'm in 20 C.
[At least no one is in the middle seat. Just some kid in the window who looks like he doesn't want to talk.]
"Tonight's feature film is Spiderman starring Tobey Mc..."
[Seen it twice. Kinda cheesy. Better than reading some boring theology book.]
Movie ends some 2 hours later.
[Still cheesy. I should have read my theology book.]
I start up my laptop to read one of my original stories.
[I am a terrible writer. I write like someone who thinks they can write, but really can't]
Five minutes later.
[Did I write that? I'm freakin brilliant.]
I close up the computer and put it away. The kid next to me speaks.
Kid-"You a awtyer?"
{Did he say lawyer?}
Lawyer?
Kid-"No. I said, are you an author?"
[Oh. I don't know. I never thought of it like that.]
"An amateur one I guess."
Kid-"So you havent been published?"
[Does "Christian Standard" count?]
"Kind of, I guess. I've had a few essays published.
[Feels like a lie, but its not.]
Kid-"I just spent six months in Brazil writing a screenplay."
[This is going to be a long story. We have another hour, what the hell?]
"Brazil, huh?"
Kid-"Yeah. But now Im going to Vegas to F--- around. Get f---ed up and sh--. Where are you staying?"
[Probably not a Baptist.]
"I live there."
[Dont ask what i do.]
Kid-"What the f--- do you do in Las Vegas."
[I f---ing plant churches.]
"I start new churches."
Kid-"No sh--."
[No sh--.]
"No sh--."
[I'm too tired to start a church with this guy tonight, God. Let me go back to my r&c and we'll call it a missionary journey. I'm all yours tomorrow.]
Kid-"How do you do that?"
[Never mind, God. I'm on the clock for one more hour.]
"We just start simple communities...people like you and your friends. We meet in people's homes, coffee shops, bars..."
Kid-"No sh--?"
[This is going to a funny story. I should blog it.]
"No sh--. We've seen about 30 churches start in Vegas and more around the nation.'
Kid-"You've built 30 church buildings?"
[Do you listen? You're drinking apple juice. If the one who should be a little confused.]
"No, we mostly meet in homes."
Kid-"Do they pay you a fee?"
[No, but there's an idea...]
"No, they just give whatever they want and we use the money to pay for trips like this and for people like me to start new churches."
Kid-"Dont take this the wrong way, but are you a cult?"
[If we were I would say no.]
No. We believe the Bible, same orthodox [Let's see if he knows any big words.] beliefs as other Christians. You know, God, Jesus, all that. A lot of people in our churches havent been to church before."
Kid-"That's me. I dont know anything about Christianity. So you believe in heaven and hell?"
[Yes, but probably not what you are thinking right now.]
Yeah.
Kid-"Do you think God created the world in seven days?"
[That's your second ever spiritual question? I have no idea.]
"I think that's at least what God wants us to believe."
Kid-"I'm moving to NYC. Some of my friends there could use a church like this. Maybe we could exchange numbers and you could visit us on your next trip."
[Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner. A real live person of peace. Thanks, God. I love this stuff. Its a ton more fun than the four spiritual laws.]
"No sh--?"
He laughs. We exchage info. He invites me for drinks at Balleys. I decide to go home and see my first church, my family.
kid-"I'll email you when i get to New York."
[I'll email you tomorrow.]
"Cool, it was good to meet you, Ben. Be good tonight. Call me if you get too messed up."
He laughs: "I will, bro."
Please pray for Ben.
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