The Art of Dodging People

It's a matter of life and death. A daily necessity. Everyone here knows it. No, it's not kungfu...it's the art of dodging people.

As I was walking peacefully minding my own way in the subway station, suddenly without warning a mob of merciless men and women in suits began to beeline all around me. They had no smile. They had no facial gesture. They had cold, steel eyes, that stared right at their destination...and their minds were enraptured in two words...walk fast.

I knew not what to do. I began to consider an alternative route to reach my final destination, but all routes seemed dangerous and pedestrians speeded in every direction.

When suddenly, instinctively as I walked forward, I began to shift my shoulder. I took a step horizontally. I stared back into cold, hard, beaty eyes and budged not as I walked past...and it began to dawn on me...I had become one of them. I was now a black belt in the art of dodging people.

Quickly I began to take evasive maneauvers, turning, sliding, barrel rolling amidst this rising storm of people. It became obvious to me, if I were ever to reach my final destination, then I had to maintain a high speed, halting only when crashing was immanent.

Finally after cartwheeling through business men, secrataries, teenagers in school uniforms, and unshakeable seniors, I finally made it through...unscathed, injury-free...but still 4 mins late? Perhaps I've still much to learn.

I thank God that He didn't make us too fast...

Hong Kong's full of people, and yea, dodging people seems like a necessity some times...which brought to mind how sometimes we dodge people too. We don't really dodge their bodies so much, but more the relationship. Ever walk towards someone only finding that you know them, but would rather not talk to them, so you make the effort of crossing the street, just so you could avoid them? I must confess, I've done that a couple times in my life...perhaps couple is an understatement.

But of all my years I've been at church, I've seen the art of dodging people happen over and over again. You probably know what I mean...a new person walks in, doesn't really look like they're from the same age group, probably not real cool, maybe doesn't even speak English well...so you walk by them, say "Excuse me" in a low tone with the intent on expressing urgency and the importance of you having to be somewhere else...

I know I've been part of that group before...until I stepped into that. A couple years ago I walked into a church like that. I was the outsider, I didn't know many people. I walked in and out, and it seemed like people effortlessly dodged me, never making the effort to know me unless I got to know them.

If there's one thing that really impressed me while I've been at the Vine, is this one concept of connecting people. It's so simple, yet it's so powerful. Just yesterday, Derek showed me how to do that again...he pulled me aside out of a conversation I had with some of my friends from Canada and said (turning to a first time visitor at the Vine while holding onto my shoulders) here's one of my leaders from the college program, he'll tell you all about it, and invite you to it too. He's from Toronto, UT...and the girl's face just brightened up, "You're from Toronto? That's so cool!"

There's been many lessons that I've learned here, but I would have to say with regards to living out a Christian life, this would be one of the most practical lessons I've learned yet while here at the vine...the art of connecting with people instead of dodging them.

For all of you who've felt the discontent of seeing people attend your churches and leave them because they say it's not friendly, or who've attended your fellowship but leave thinking to themselves noone cares...step it up. Lead your peers into connecting with people. If there's any group of individuals in this entire world who should make people feel connected to one another on a real genuine level, it should be us Christians. And I know with God's help we can do it, but we gotta start...