Faith is so good, you just have to share it
Friday, October 5, 2007 11:46 PM PDT
By Darcie Chess For The Daily News
Printable version
E-mail this articleMy son Kearby began his freshman year at Washington State University in Pullman a few weeks ago, and he's adjusting pretty well to his new environment.
In his first few days there, however, he had a little pet peeve: at every turn, one or another of the campus ministries had a person out proselytizing to anyone walking by, and he felt like a moving target!
He was raised to be kind, polite, and patient, so he was never rude or short with them. Having grown up with the Baha'i faith, he respects the exhortations of Baha'u'llah: "Show forbearance and benevolence and love to one another," and "Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship."
But it's easy to understand how it could try a person's patience to be approached in this way up to 11 times in one day.
I'm pretty enthusiastic about my faith and all the wonderful ways that my life has changed for the better since I found it, so I understand what drives a person to want to share this sweetness with others.
If you've ever been less than friendly to a person who has tried to share their beliefs with you, try to look at what they're doing from their own point of view: When something gives you happiness, peace, and fulfillment, it's only natural to want to share it with others. The person on the street corner may not realize that maybe passers-by aren't interested. It makes you happy, why doesn't it do the same for them?
It's easy to be frustrated or irritated at a person who seems to be intruding or pushy, but it might be easier to bear with them if you give them the benefit of the doubt: they are motivated by love.
With this approach, your response, even if it isn't to join their particular cause, can also be a gesture of love, rather than animosity: "Thank you for the brochure. I hope you have a nice day." And mean it.
Readers ---- ministers or not ---- are welcome to submit essays on ethical and moral issues and the spiritual journey for Soul Searching. We are especially interested in personal anecdotes about making ethical decisions, and thoughtful essays on local issues that have a moral or ethical component. Please send your essays to Soul Searching, The Daily News, P.O. Box 189, Longview, WA 98632, or e-mail them to paulu@tdn.com
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