Ghosts from the past.
The missionaries were working the Albertson's parking lot this evening, presumably because an Albertson's parking lot on a Sunday evening is a good place to find souls in need of an intervention. They were an aggressive pair, splitting up to make sure they had the chance to accost every shopper that made their way across the parking lot to their car. I was no exception.
"Good evening. My name is Elder Soandso, nice to meet you. We're sharing a message of Jesus Christ and his restored gospel etc. etc."
"I'm not interested. Thanks."
"I testify to you that this message is true. Good evening."
I'm still not sure how I feel about how foreign the whole exchange seemed to me. Accosting people in a parking lot with a cart full of groceries wasn't my style even when I was an LDS missionary oh so many years ago. It just seemed obnoxious and intrusive to me. I mean, come on. How many of you are in a frame of mind conducive to pondering existential realities after shopping for groceries and before you've even had a chance to load up your car?
Back in the day I was secure in the belief that I was in possession of the Truth. That belief allowed me a certain mental deftness that kept me (most of the time) from feeling about myself like I felt about all the other "Jesus freaks" out there. Listening to this young man pitching his Jesus narrative tonight had no such protections and struck me as no different and just as ludicrous as any other person trying to push their religion in such an contextually incongruent location.
And that whole "I testify..." thing. What is up with that? My immediate reaction to his little statement was, "And you are? Who are you that I should give a damn what you testify about?" I don't know this kid from Adam. What relationship is he going to establish with me in 45 seconds that I'm going to even care what he has to say, much less feel compelled to consider his words? It didn't feel to me that he was trying to convince me of anything as much as he was washing his hands. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you."
The whole thing has left a bad taste in my mouth. I still haven't sorted out exactly why. I'm sure I'll be mulling it over for days to come.