It is officially November-- that time of year on a college campus where mid-terms pile up and whatever boost Fall Break gave has disappeared. Many students start to retreat to their bubble of class, favorite study location and dorm room. I'm pretty sure UNC students think their InterVarsity staff is immune to this feeling, but I can testify at least this one isn't. I ride the Robertson bus from Duke's campus, near my home, to UNC. It is a 30 minute drive where the bus is generally silent as people read or listen to their Ipods. I enjoy my silent ride by reading the newspaper.
Recently, I sat down in a seat appropriately spaced out from others with an open seat to either side of me and opened my newspaper. There is only one other stop and when some people got on, I didn't even look up. I put my newspaper in my bag jsut as we pulled onto UNC's campus and noticed the man sitting next to me with a shaved head was reading "Buddha: a beginner's guide." I was disappointed in myself. What an easy opportunity to talk with someone about faith and religion. Neither of us were going anywhere, and all I had to do was ask about what he was reading. I was reminded of one of my favorite passages about prayer and evangelism.
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:2-6)
As I walked to my first meeting, I prayed that I would be more aware of what was going on around me, even if I was tired. That afternoon I boarded the bus with the vague memory of the morning. I opened up my paper again and started reading. This time a woman behind me asked the man next to her to use his phone. She had left hers in her room and needed to let her boyfriend know that she was on her way. She then shared that she had also lost her glasses that day, and I joined in lamenting the annoyance of losing something valuable.
We all started talking, and it turns out the man lives two streets behind me. He works in Chapel Hill and she is a student. They found out I was a campus minister and didn't get too weird. We talked about what it was like to grow up in our respective hometowns and roommate drama. Then he asked if InterVarsity ever does any events comparing different faiths. I shared that last year we were a part of an inter-faith trialogue, and the woman said her friend was organizing it this year.
I took that as an open door and asked him about his faith background. He graduated high school last year and was confirmed Methodist as a child, but wants to read both the Koran and the Bible to figure out what he believes. The bus was stopping at that point and I knew I wanted to pursue that more, but before I could say anything he said, "So, do you have groups that look at the Bible or anything like that?"
We exchanged contact information and hope to get together soon. It is just like God to redeem my self-absorbed or at least apathetic morning with a similar opportunity in the evening. Despite the November blues, it was the most energetic I felt all day.
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