Everybody wants to talk

It's Monday morning and Mark, Adam and I are getting some work done together at Ritual Coffee Roasters in the Mission District. A man sits down next to me on the couch and overhears us talking. He asks if we are Christians. He asks what exactly we are planning together. As we tell him about our dreams for communities of people throughout the Bay Area who love Jesus and follow Him, people who are truly His disciples in every way, he is more than just a little interested. He wants to know what we think. He wants to tell us about the spiritual journey he has been on his entire life. He went to church for a time with a girlfriend. The only Christian who had ever made much of a positive impression was a pastor who, he said, really lived the way Jesus talked about in the Scriptures. We talked about Buddhism and the gospel of Thomas and the teachings of Jesus. He was a filmmaker and thought it would be fascinating to make a film about early Christianity and the effects of Constantine. Our new friend was eager to hear our thoughts and share his. We had a wonderful discussion, and he is interested in checking out things we do in the future. After he moved on, a slightly younger man with some sweet Gucci glasses, a sweatshirt and a cool hat walked right up. He asked us if we were Christians. It turns out he is looking for a church community with his wife. We spoke for a few minutes before we had to leave to meet someone for a lunch appointment.
On BART today Don sat next to me as I waited for the train. I was holding the notes from the meeting on Monday. He asked me what I was looking at. When I told him I was looking over some teachings of Jesus for a gathering in San Francisco, he wanted to know all about it. He had a slightly different tone...for a while he bordered on rude and I thought he may be mentally ill, but he definitely wanted to talk about Jesus, and talk, and talk, and talk, and talk.
These last few days make me think that so many of the books I have read the last few books have hit on something true...people today are interested in spiritual things. People are interested in Jesus. If we are open to where the Spirit of God would lead us, and if we speak with a spirit of love and respect, people want to talk. People are yearning for hope, meaning, community, truth. People want to talk. May God speak through our lips.