I recently saw a video of someone complaining that as they were preaching the word in a crowded subway car, no one was paying any attention. That made me think how Ecclesiastes has a lesson for us regarding street preaching.
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Let me start out by stating that despite my expertise in Marketing and Sales, I am not suited well, at all, to missionary work, such as preaching on the street or in subway cars.
The reason is simple: the first person to spit on me would wake up in the hospital.
Now, that being established, you may be wondering how street preaching and Ecclesiastes (the Hebrew name for that book is Kohelet) are related, and the answer is that in Kohelet (I’m using that name because it is easier to type) we are told there is a time for everything. I think we can extrapolate on that idea and state there is also a place for everything, and that things work best when you are in the right place, at the right time.
Preaching in a subway car is certainly a right place, mainly because you have a trapped audience. But I believe doing so during rush hour is not the best time.
You may be thinking it is the absolute best time because the subway is at its most crowded, but I think, having been a commuter for a very, VERY long time, it is not a good time because people are concentrating on what they are going to do when they get to work, or (on the return trip) what they are going to do when they get home.
And that equates to this: they are not at all interested in hearing anything, from anyone.
Now, you may come back to me and say that any time we plant a seed we are doing good for the Kingdom, and I would not disagree. Yet… if I am throwing good seed on sandy desert ground or in a rocky crevasse, am I really doing any good?
And I can tell you from experience, which you may be able to relate to (especially if you’ve been a long-time commuter), when going to work I am concentrating on work; I am thinking exclusively on what I have to do when I get there, and I do not want to be bothered with anything else to think about.
And when going home, all I want to do is get home.
I think the best time to preach on a subway car is between rush hours, when the people are not concentrating so much on what they have to do when they get to wherever they are going.
As for preaching on the street, I think any time of the day is good because there are many people on the street who are not in a rush to get somewhere, and may be more open to spending some time to listen, and maybe even interact with you (hopefully, in a respectful and non-violent way).
I have no end of respect for you missionary types- like I said from the start, I could never do it. This ministry of mine is a strictly teaching ministry- my purpose is to let you know what you need to know in order to make an informed decision about where you will spend eternity. I say what I believe, and why, but never tell anyone else what they have to believe.
So, that all being said, if you do missionary work, God bless you! And please consider what I have said, in regard to choosing the best time and place to spread the seeds of salvation, because, if you ask me, they are too valuable to throw away, like pearls before swine.
Thank you for being here and please remember to share these messages with everyone you know, even if they aren’t a Believer. After all, you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.
(And, no, I am not contradicting today’s message by saying this- I am specifying to plant the seed in soil, not rocks or desert or sand.)
That’s it for today, so l’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!
