Ideological Whiskers

Being a diverse campus, UMBC has its share of people who inhabit the rough-hewn edges of mainstream beliefs. These aret the people who say things that make non-sympathizers around them feel just a little bit uncomfortable.

At my school there is a church who sends guys to stand in academic row with an easel and paint, drawing illustrations to a monologue on the “lie of evolution” and how all have sinned and are doomed to hellfire. They will frequently get into arguments with the inevitable students who challenge their worldview. Around the campus, these various spokespeople are collectively referred to as the “Jesus Man” and are generally regarded as crazy.

More recently, I was in the computer lab when a kid stood up on the table for a “public service announcement,” then flipped open a Bible. I saw him a week later with a cardboard sign reading something along the lines of “who is worthy?”

These kinds of people are great at generating awkward moments, but it is doubtful how effective their methods are at their ostensible goal of sharing their faith. More often than not, their actions drive people to delve further into the earth, erecting even more fortified trenches to defend. On the ideological box plot, these people form one of the “whiskers.”

I am of the opinon that a better way of reaching people is to simply try and live your beliefs. While I know I am a  horribly imperfect representation of Christ, I don’t claim to be any more than that. In this situation, you are better off living your life and taking your place in society, rather than trying to stand outside it and fish-slap passersby. I might not “convert” anybody, but the people I interact with know that I care about them. I think that’s part of what it really means to be “Christ-like.”