Today my wife and I went to the Mall to take back some gifts we received for Christmas. While there, a strange thing happened and I'm still scratching my head about it.
As my wife was waiting in line at the return counter, I walked with my daughter around the store. Walking towards the mall entrance, I spied an old Bible School student who graduated with me in my class from Bible Institute walking towards me. Upon recognizing him I blurted out happily surprised, "Hey, I know you!" And then I put out my hand to shake his.
But instead of him stopping and speaking with me, he quickly walked on by. All he said was, "Hey Brother," and then as he looked down at my extended right hand, he replied, "I don't think so brother!"
After he passed me without looking back, I stood there stunned, and all that could come out of my mouth was, "Boy, that was weird!"
I then just looked around for a while and tried to figure out what that was all about. It wasn't like we were good friends or anything, but we did hang out some, and we graduated together and were both members of the same church at one time. Why then did he brush me off so rudely?
At first I was surprised, then unable to believe what just happened. It really bothered me. I thought, "What evil have I done?"
My next thought was that maybe the old church that my wife and I left that he was still a member of was saying bad things about me, and because of that he didn't want to have anything to do with me, nor even shake my hand. Could that be the case? Could they have labeled me some kind of "heretic" for not compromising like they did and because of this, he didn't want to shake hands with a heretic?
Then I though, to myself, "I could never do something like that to anyone I knew. Even if they were horrible people or heretics, I still would say Hi to them and even shake their hand." Why wouldn't he do the same?
I know my old church doesn't like me because I left feeling they have compromised on some of their doctrinal positions and because they use a different Spanish Bible than I do. But does that mean I'm not "worthy" in their eyes to even shake hands with? I mean, I might not agree with them, and they with me, but I can at least be cordial! Can't they? (Visit my website at www.rrb3.com/breaker/home_page.htm and click on "Why we left our old home church" on the left to find out more about why we left).
As I walked around, I eventually realized the problem wasn't with me at all, it was with him. He just didn't want to be friendly. And if, in fact, he desired no fellowship with me for my stand on the truth, then I thought of it as a great honor. For what a great thing that someone would hate me so much they wouldn't even want to greet me in a handshake!
My wife and I talked about it afterwards, and she said, "Hey, cheer up! You didn't do anything wrong, and you are the good guy, as you were trying to be nice! You've never said anything bad about that man or your old church, and if they don't want to be nice to you, that's their loss!"
She was right, as usual. But the worst part was not knowing why he wouldn't stop and shake my hand and talk with me.
I talked with another friend later about it, and he said it was probably because he was a "man worshipper" and not a real Bible Believer, and he probably was thinking, "I can't wait to go tell Bro. So and So that I didn't even shake his hand!"
It's sad, but there are a lot of such people in the Independent Baptist Circles that are political, and do everything to be seen of men or to brag about themselves and what they do.
Was that the reason? I guess I'll never know. All I know is that was an odd experience, and his attitude was very anti-Christian, especially since he called me "brother." Is this how Christians are supposed to treat other Christians?
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