I Was Evangelized

It doesn't happen as much as it did when I was younger, but the other evening at my favorite coffee shop I was evangelized. A young woman came up to me and handed me a paper. She had a nice smile, seemed a little reserved and was gentle in her approach.

In an accented English she pointed me to the paper with a lotus blossom on the front and "You are invited to attend..." across the top. At the bottom was the date and time of a local meeting on a Sunday two weeks away. She then turned the paper over and showed me the website address. I said thank you and she walked away.

I believe this is the first time I was ever evangelized by a Buddhist. Low pressure. The only thing other than information was the particular Buddhist branch's logo with the phrase "The Key to Unlocking Your Highest Potential" on the back above the local phone number. In that was perhaps the hook that would hopefully get a person to the meeting.

I was struck most, though, by the simple, friendly approach. There have been very few times over the years when a Christian has been as basic and friendly. There was no sense of superiority- just something to share.

Which is what any "evangelizing" should be.

(Note: Yes, I know. True "evangelizing" can only be done by a Christian since the word comes from the Good News. I'm willing, though, to let it stand as written.)