/me sets down soapbox<br>/me climbs up on soapbox, taps microphone: "ahem, testing.... Ohne, Tew, Ohne, Tew, Tree...<br>/me climbs down from soapbox...looks at soapbox and microphone....shifts soapbox to the left<br>
/me walks over to table, reviews will, and signs it<br>/me takes asbestos suit out of trunk<br>/me puts asbestos suit on<br>/me climbs back up on soapbox<br>/me climbs down from soapbox<br>/me takes big breath...looks at soapbox, wondering, wondering<br>
/me climbs back up on soapbox slowly, with trepidation<br><br><br>I don't pretend to be an evangelizing individual. I don't say that I can argue with charisma for any method, any company, any OS, or any religion. <br>
<br>But I can tell you that I know what I practice. I know what faith I have. I live my faith (in religion primarily, but in other things also) like a little flower, always growing towards heaven...<br><br>I knew a man once who felt that he was a individual of God. He felt that everyone should know that he was such an individual. He was always demonstrating this to others. He would say, "what a blessed morning this is," when others were looking at the rain with disgust. (As he said this, most of the people in the room would view him with disgust as well.) Any setback was a time to see why God had given him a gift of adversity...and he made sure that others knew this. "With God's willing..."<br>
Furthermore, he felt that everyone should have the great knowledge of God as well. He was always sharing God with anyone who would give him time.<br>This man was an evangelist, showing how many people he could bring into the fold.<br>
Of a group of about twenty people that I grew up with, he walked away with eight. The rest he drove from the flock with his unthinking, peevish spouting that everything was a glorious miracle, and that God was always at his back.<br>
<br>He over did it.<br><br>I now know a Priest that shows everyone he is an individual of God. He wears a collar. If anyone asks him what he believes, he says "I am a Catholic. My creed is of Nicene." If that person wants to drop the conversation, or change it...the priest will allow that. If the person has questions, the priest will carefully and politely answer those questions. By him having a degree in Cannon Law, I feel the man is very knowledgeable. However, I would observe that his best moments come when he uses his time to befriend people in the community. He only brings up Catholicism when they ask about his beliefs or for his advice. If they ask for his advice, he will explain that he looks to Jesus and the Church for his answers, and people respect this of him. I guess this works, as his bishop has moved him twice to save failing parishes.<br>
<br>I try to follow the second example when setting myself in front of people. I do this no matter if the venue is Catholicism, Scouting, Linux, or anything else. I've seen very modest success. If I fail, I remember the little flower.<br>
<br>/me turns off microphone<br>/me steps off soapbox<br>/me leaves asbestos suit on<br>