Being Present

The day was slow and the humidity high as I sat at our bookshop info booth wondering if anything interesting would happen. Few visitors trickled in but the day seemed to drag.

All of a sudden three Buddhist monks appeared out of the corner of my eye. Dressed in orange robes they were wandering around the our shop for quite some time and I wondered what books they had picked up. A voice inside me told me to go up and chat with them to see if they needed any help. I chose to remain behind the comfort of the info booth and decided not to bother them. Moments later, one of the monks approached me and asked for help finding a particular book. Unfortunately we didn't have what he was looking for in stock. As I perused his selections I was excited to see that he had John Eldridge's "Wild at Heart." Its a great Christian inspirational novel that really was an epiphany for me a couple years ago. I shared my enthusiasm for its message and he seemed excited to read it. After asking me a few questions about the ship, I thought he and his friends would enjoy a tour. I was able to get out of my shift and seize the moment to share our ship and its story with them.

It was a fun time as we went around the deck through the various facilities like the kitchen and on board fire station. They were intrigued that so many people from over forty countries could live and work together. I explained that we come from different backgrounds and cultures, but what brings us together is our faith in Christ.

We walked past some pictures of the ships various outreach projects and I told them of our mission to bring help, hope and knowledge. Not only does the ships crew bring practical help to local communities by building homes, working in orphanages, donating books, teaching English, but that we also are able to share our faith through our service to those in need. Again the three men were very interested and wanted to know more about life on the ship.

We hung out in the dining room for a bit and I asked if they had any questions about the ship. Our conversations lead into talking about our faiths. I've been reading about Theravada Buddhism (which is the type of Buddhism practiced in most of south east asia) and was interested to learn more about their fundamental beliefs. They were very open to sharing and then asked me about my faith and how I became Christian. This was a challenge as I had to shape my testimony around how I thought they would best receive it.
To be honest I've never really shared my faith with too many people, let alone a devout Buddhist. Because they asked and were eager to hear me out, it was easier and more rewarding than I expected.

Afterwards I took them back up to the deck and they were on their way. I was glad that we all got a chance to chat and that they could see the ship and its people. What could have been a uneventful day turned out to be a great learning experience. Its easy to stay comfortable but its more rewarding to be present.

The goal of Christian missions is not to forcefully change or convert peoples beliefs. Rather,the aim is to be available, to serve and to share gently and respectfully how your faith has changed your life with the hopes that it may touch the lives of others.