"I think Jesus is just another dude," was Bryan's bottom line in our impromptu conversation.
I knew little about Bryan. But soon he was telling me about his construction accident. "I should have died," he said. This turned our conversation.
"What do you think would have happened if you had died?" I said.
With little hesitation, he responded, "Nothing."
At that moment, the words of the Apostle Paul pointed at me: "Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ…having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ."
I could still remember back when I was a lot like Bryan. Words like "atheist, Heaven, Hell, agnostic, and Jesus", became part of our eight-minute interaction. Mostly Bryan talked. He detailed much of his spiritual journey. The more he talked, the more I saw my former self. The one separated from Jesus.
I longed to interrupt him with my "good news" of God's love—His plan of salvation. I could talk and…"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." 1 Corinthians 13:1 came to mind.
Love would be to really listen to Bryan's life-story. For a near-stranger he was sharing to a surprising depth. How long since someone has listened? How long since someone had put down their own agenda?
He sees Jesus as merely another dude. If I act without love, he could see a Jesus-follower as just another irritating noise.
Or he could see 1 Corinthians 13:13, "Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love."
I trusted God for Bryan's soul. I slowed down and listened, really listened. With love.
