This afternoon, I saw in the MRT something I’ve never seen for a long time, and something I haven’t seen in the MRT before; a preacher. It took me a while to realize that he was actually there; at first I thought it was just someone who was talking too loudly. When I started hearing the words “Biblya” and “Hesus” and “mga kapatid” and “makasalanan” etc, that’s when I finally figured out what he was doing.
I was annoyed at first, but when at the end of the line he did not ask for donations or the like, I smiled inwardly. At least, he didn’t do that part of what I often deem as an “act,” which might mean that his preaching may be sincere, after all.
Preachers who do their thing on mass transit and on street corners irritate me somehow. It’s like they’re shoving God up your ass wherever you go. It’s not that I forget about God if I’m not in the Church, or that Word of God is unwelcome anywhere else. It’s just that God doesn’t need to call for attention (and ask for money for that matter) that way.
When Jesus turned over the benches at the temple, He did so because these people were not doing their business at the proper place. We never read about Jesus preaching at the market, or the street corner. Most of the time He’d find a quiet hilltop where people can hear Him and listen to Him and pay attention. And He never asked for money afterward.
Another time I feel God is being shoved up my ass is when I receive religious forwarded emails. I’m not talking about all of them, however. I’m talking about most of them… the ones that have “guilt-trip” P.S.s that try to make you feel guilty about forwarding jokes and silly stuff but not forwarding anything that concerns God. Whoever put those at the end of many beautiful spiritual messages ruins the message completely; it destroys the message by presenting God as a pathetic entity who needs to beg for our attention and needs forwarded emails to be remembered.
God has infinite ways to call our attention. Humbling experiences like getting fired or failing in business or in school are but few of the countless ways He calls our attention. Tragedies and dilemmas are always opportunities for us to remember and seek Him and His guidance and His infinite wisdom. He also blesses us with wonderful gifts; a newborn child, a newfound love, fulfillment in our jobs; each blessing should remind us about how God works His mysterious ways.
God doesn’t need street preachers or forwarded emails to call our attention. He definitely doesn’t want us to get irritated simply by getting reminded about Him, and He definitely doesn’t want to go through our ass. He wants to enter us through our hearts.
Fortunately I have yet to experience the worst way of shoving God up one’s ass: that through some guy screaming “Allah Akbar” while pulling a detonating cord to prime explosives strapped on his body. I pray to God keep anyone from experiencing such horror through the desecration of His name.
4 responses so far ↓
1 bugsybee // Dec 6, 2005 at 9:25 pm
Jon, I completely agree with you. I don’t like preachers doing their thing anywhere. I mean, I would much rather commune with my God in a quiet, solemn place. I also hate it when I get forwarded religious email that says (1) show God you love Him by forwarding this email to so many persons or (2) you’ll get bad luck if you do not forward the email. Aaargh!
2 Anonymous // Dec 8, 2005 at 1:40 pm
hmmm… i beg to disagree on some parts. while i was equally annoyed with those “collecting” money from people (or passengers i must say), I don’t feel that they are shoving God up our asses whereever we go for those who do preaching sincerely and truthfully. I must say pa nga na isa ako sa mga nag sha share how God is so good to us. For some people (like me for instance), it’s my channel of testifying how God is mighty and supportive and helpful and everything! And since He is soooooo good to me despite the fact that I am a STUBBORN, SINFUL & DISOBEDIENT child, He still keeps on loving me and helping me and aleviate me from my sinful and garbage state. And as a return to His forever love and kindness, I share God to other people as well, even up to the point of sharing God to strangers. Also, Inasmuch as Im aware that you dont forget God (and that some people as well), it wont hurt us to be reminded from time to time that the world we live in is only TEMPORAL and that there is an everlasting life in heaven with God. With our busy lives, constant pressures from work, family et.al. Im pretty sure jon that for some/most times we tend to shove God away and continue with our busy lives instead. I believe reminding us of God and His almighty acts and the everlasting life we have with Him in heaven wont hurt us, would it?
Just my 2 cents worth. I miss you jon. I hope we can get to talk sometime about how God helped me with my previous “relationship” with this guy… you know what am talking about. Akala ko nga nun hindi na ako makakabangon eh. Akala ko nun Jon magiging complete sinner na ako, at malalayo na sakin si Lord. Pero MABUTI talaga Siya Jon, kahit na alam Niya at alam natin na complete DISOBEDIENCE yun nangyari, tinulungan pa din ako ni Lord, moreso, tinulungan Niya akong i give up yun taong yun. He made a way Jon na at first I resisted and I didnt want to accept. I even blamed God that time….and spoke curses. Pero kahit ganon, hindi nag give up sakin si Lord. You know Jon, things like that, would really push me to share God to everybody, even to those I dont personally know.
Take care Jon. God bless us (syempre kasama ako hehehe). Miss ya! - ate ems
3 Jon Limjap // Dec 8, 2005 at 8:44 pm
Don’t worry Ate Ems, I get what you mean. I just feel bad for God when I hear about Him from people who are almost screaming at the top of their lungs… or having their portable karaokes at very very very high volume; especially if you happen to be standing next to them. Again, it destroys His word.
Sana makapunta ka sa birthday party ni CJ.
4 BW // Jan 5, 2006 at 6:32 am
Well said. During the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta hordes if not thousands of “preachers” and “fishers of men” were picking on complete strangers at the oylmpic stadium attempting to “save their wretched souls”. I have no doubt about the sincerity of the action but what about its efficacy? What’s the success rate of converting a total stranger to your religion? Surely God is smart enough to discern that they’re wasting time sharing Him in the most inappropriate venue and timing. It can in fact smack of disrespect of God in my opinion.
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