I was on my way home. The man in Cornmarket offered me a leaflet. It looked to be a religious tract. I shook my head, smiled politely, said 'No thank you', and passed by. As I went, he called after me. 'Jesus loves you.' A challenge. I turned back and began to question him. 'How do you know Jesus loves me?'. Each answer - more response than answer - led me to further enquiries. He had all the skills of a pulpit orator. Came out with the stock responses. Shining with his own beliefs. Familiar phrases he had picked up from others. Nothing I had not heard before. Yet no direct answers to my questions. 'You say God spoke to you. How do you know it was God?' Answer : 'Do you believe in Christ Jesus?' Question : 'What do you mean by Do I believe in Christ Jesus ?' Response : 'Except you believe in the Lord Jesus .. ' And so it went on. For several minutes. An interchange with no connections. It's not that we spoke different languages. Simply that we had different frames of reference. francis cameron, oxford, 24 november 2011
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