Hostels are pretty cool – awesome locations for people-watching.
Sometimes my people-watching turns into people-meeting.
Sometimes these conversations take interesting turns.
This is the story of my conversation with two guys about God. Both were traveling around Central America indefinitely. Both were strangers. And both desperately needed God. One was from Leeds, England. The other was from Oregon, USA.
Dusk was creeping in as I sat on the roof of the hostel writing a blog. Leeds and Oregon, came up to the roof to talk with each other. Patiently, I slaved away at my blog post, periodically distracted by the conversation occurring beside me. People from my squad (we essentially invade hostels whenever we travel) passed in and out of the conversations as they went about life. As night fell, I finally abandoned my computer and fully engaged in the conversation that Leeds and Oregon were having with another girl on the squad.
Oregon was a trifle aggressive in his disapproval of mission trips and Christianity in general. Leeds shared some of Oregon’s concerns, but he refrained from the harshness that exuded from Oregon.
I have learned, the painful way, that the best method for me to engage with others in difficult conversations is through questions. I ask question and probe without a specific agenda, solely to prompt thought. As I entered the conversation, I started digging deeper into Leeds presuppositions and his basic worldview. From his reaction, it was clear that he had not actually considered what he believed. It was interesting to see his philosophy develop even as we spoke. Our topics covered morality, the existence of God, the existence of the universe, the definition of truth, the scientific method, and so much more.
The ending of this story is the ending I hoped for. Oregon gave up on the conversation early in evening, but Leeds and I continued to talking about God until well past midnight. We parted ways cordially, but Leeds still had no interest in what I had to say. I only hope that through my questions and my attitude, I was able to plant a seed that challenged his thinking.
