I really like meeting new people. I am convinced that everyone has an interesting story and knows things I don’t know, which could be helpful to me. Of course, not everyone is interested in meeting me. When meeting new people, I try to determine if they are interested in a conversation, and if they are not, I try to move on quickly and as politely as possible. It is also true that some people are not very good at telling their story or explaining what they know in a concise, understandable way. When people are not good at telling their story the conversation is usually one sided as the other person does all the talking. These are not bad people; they just are not very good at reading the situation. I always try and listen, knowing some people just need to talk.
However, most people I meet are excellent at sharing the highlights of who they are and what they know, and these make for the most enjoyable encounters. This last weekend I spent some time in a mountain village with some good friends. We spent most of our time in a nice condo watching movies and talking about the good life and how best to live it. It was a delightful weekend.
We did venture out a couple of times to explore the village and enjoy a nice dinner. One evening we explored a luxury hotel. This is a favorite activity of mine, to look at the magnificent lobby, admire the artwork and chandeliers. Often these lobbies have a nice bar where you can enjoy a fancy drink.
UNLIKELY CONVERSATION PARTNERS
The hotel we were exploring had a grand staircase in addition to the art and chandeliers. On thes econd floor there was the sound of people conversing, so we walked up the staircase to see what kind of party was in progress. At the top of the stairs there were several booths set in a small lobby with doors to a ballroom on the opposite side. We had stumbled into a convention, a convention to which we had not been invited to attend. My friends, doing the right thing, began to retreat down the staircase. I, however, walked over to one of the displays and asked the gentlemen what they were selling. Two very nice sales executives explained they were selling the interior parts used in knee and hip replacements. They had these parts nicely packed inside expensive cases.
Parts to artificial knee
I had just joined a convention of orthopedic surgeons. The surgeons were in the ballroom listening to a lecture, and the booth guys were just hanging out waiting for the session to end. With a little prompting from me the booth guys began to take out the knee replacement parts and showed me how they worked. It was fascinating learning about knee and hip replacement. I also learned a little about the history of joint replacement. I am sure my enjoyment was more than normal because I was learning from experts at a time when I did not need the surgery. By this time, my friends had come back up the stairs and were politely standing off to the side as I asked questions, told some of my stories, and enjoyed hearing theirs.
SHARING MY STORY
After fifteen minutes or so I said, “You should ask me what I sell.” They were happy to ask, and
Plato, Socrates, Aristotle
I told them I was a philosopher selling the good, the true, and beautiful to young Airmen at FE Warren. They were interested in my work and after about ten minutes one of the sales executives indicated that he was a believer in Jesus, and I asked him how he came to faith. After telling his story, he then asked me about my personal journey, and I had the opportunity to say in a very natural way that I was lost and now I am found because of the love and sacrifice of Jesus. About that time the doors opened, the surgeons came into the lobby, and we quickly said good-bye.
After this most enjoyable encounter., I enjoyed a nice dinner with my friends. On the way out of the restaurant I waved to two of my new friends who were enjoying dinner at the same restaurant. They waved me over to their table, told me how much they enjoyed the conversation and we traded business cards.
BEING THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
These kinds of conversation are not unusual for me. Even though the encounter was short I feel like it enriched my life, and I was able to enrich and encourage theirs just a little bit. This happened seven days ago, and I have had conversations like this at least three times since. Sometimes my conversations with strangers are shorter, sometimes longer, but they are always enjoyable.
It occurs to me that people often avoid talking to strangers. I admit there is always a fear in walking up to someone you do not know and saying, “Hi my name is _____________________.” I know that fear well because I feel it every time I take the chance to talk to someone I don’t know. But my life is richer when I take the chance, and because Jesus tells me I am “the light of the world,”I think their life is just a little richer as well.
I hope that you will take every opportunity to meet people you don’t know. I pray that you will become excited to learn things about the world you did not know from people you didn’t know just a moment ago. And I pray that deep in your bones, you recognize that you are the light of the world, and that you have something to give to a world that needs what you have to share.
