Sometimes I call upon people in a door-to-door ministry to observe something to the effect that ‘The world is crazy. We are people who think the Bible helps; in that it uncovers a) why it is crazy, b) what hope lies in the future, and c) how best to live in the meantime.’ People are not always sure that ‘the Bible helps,’ but nobody disputes that the world is crazy. Instantly, you have common ground. I mean, what is anyone going to say—that it’s not?
Couple that with an offer to “Read a scripture, you tell me what you think, and I am gone” and your approach is complete. Head-and-shoulders I recommend this approach before all others. The householder immediately knows what you want and how long it will take. Not long, unless he or she chooses to make it that way. Few things are more clunky than trying to draw a person into conversation who doesn’t want to be drawn. This approach averts all that. If the person declines my offer of scripture, I say a pleasantry or two and I am gone. Occasionally, the pleasantry itself opens up conversation along different lines.
We Witnesses call on people without appointment, something virtually unheard of in the Western world. Nobody has to give us any time at all, and yet many do. I am always gracious over it. To someone who it was quite obvious that the timing was wrong—they were entertaining company—I conceded as much. At her request, I went through the above about the crazy world, and again at the offer to do a scripture, said it might not be the best time. She agreed it was not, and as I made to go, said “Thank you for being respectful of my time.”
Give it a few weeks. When I’m in the area again, I’ll stop in. The company will have gone home. We’ll see what happens. The Bible is a good thing, worth sharing.
****** The bookstore
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