Always Talk to Strangers

I think it’s interesting to observe the way strangers interact with one another.  In our culture the unwritten rule is to ignore those around you, and keep your distance.  (Every man knows what a buffer urinal is).  However,  circumstances sometimes require some kind of polite response.  This is called social inattention.  It’s when we feel compelled to acknowledge the existence of another person, but we still want to avoid meaningful interaction.  So when someone sneezes we say “bless you”—that’s usually just a reflex response; we’re not really interceding for divine blessing upon them because they sneezed.  When someone holds the door we say “thank you.”  When it’s just the two of us passing one another in a hallway we say “how are you” hoping they’ll say “fine” and be on their way.  Then there’s always the “have a nice day” line, which really means “next.”  (When someone says to me “have a nice day” I always want to gruffly say “I’ve got other plans”—but I don’t).

 

But I recently discovered the value of pushing the envelope a little with strangers.  I was flying back from vacation in California (by way of Atlanta, of course) and found myself seated next to a guy who was flying to Little Rock for a business meeting.  Unlike other flying companions I’d had on the trip he didn’t plug in the ear phones, fix his eyes on the screen, and hang a “do not disturb” sign around his neck.  (That last part didn’t happen, but the message was clear).  This guy was willing to talk a little, so we made some small talk.  He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him I was a pastor.  Sometimes that confession immediately kills the conversation; other times it opens the door to go a little deeper.  This time it was the latter and we talked about church and stuff.  Eventually he mentioned how he and his wife had lost their 30 year old son a couple of years ago.  He didn’t want to talk much about his own grief, but when I asked if it would be okay if I prayed for him and his wife he accepted the offer with gratitude.  I could tell it meant a lot to him.

 

I’ve been reminded that being just a little bold and taking a little risk with strangers can yield good results.  I’m not talking about stepping onto an elevator and facing the crowd and loudly asking if everyone there knows Jesus;  but just doing things a little out of the ordinary often produces good fruit.  It requires….

 

                Readiness—sometimes you have to act fairly quickly or you’ll miss an opportunity.  The other day I had a chance to help a mom who was struggling with a child, a cart full of groceries and a lift gate that wouldn’t stay up—it was a very nice exchange and I could tell she was blessed.

                Initiative—we have to take the first step.  More often than not there will be a very positive response.

                Boldness—a willingness to dispense with social inattention and go just a little deeper.

 

 

Essentially we need to unlearn a rule our parents taught us and always talk to strangers.

 

 

Brian