Stopped

A couple days later Ellen, Dan and I are the only missionaries, we make our way up the steps and through the glass doors of the UC.

I'd received a word to preach. God wanted us to tell students He's forming a people who love Him here at IUPUI, but today an amplified student with a guitar reigned over the din of the UC lunchroom that sat strangely vacant.

"You could just ask to have his mic," Ellen suggests. I really wished I'd at least asked, but instead we left. We headed across the quad, entering the the hotel food court. Often we'd find individual/small groups of folks, but today we would attempt our first hotel preaching.

Pushing through the doors, we entered the food court. I instantly realized how much louder and larger this room was. Extending back it will hold 3-400 students at a time and with much higher ceilings and lots of concrete, sound echoes off the walls. Long lines had already began bisecting the room snaking between packed tables and structural columns.

Dan, Ellen and I positioned ourselves to the side of the lines so that as many folks as possible could see and hear. "Good afternoon everyone," our welcome echoed down to the end of the long room and returned. All heads stopped and with a motion almost audible, turned to see what was happening.

I had been talking now for about 2 minutes about how love calls us to do some crazy things when out of the hotel this 220 lbs 45 year old man in a suit complete with clear ear bud enters the room. Seeing us he turns and starts heading straight for us. I notice him. Usually when we are asked to stop the person stands off to the side, but those were students and in the UC. He walks right up to me and stops directly in front of me and in a voice lower than even Dan or Ellen could hear he commands me to stop and come with him.

"Just a minute I'm almost done, sir," I reply," SO LOVE CAN MAKE US DO CRAZY THINGS," I shout over his shoulder.
"No. You will stop and come with me. Now." It was final.
"Alright," I tell him and again shouting over his shoulder," GOD BLESS Y'ALL, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK." I tell the court and head
outside.

He takes our names, tells us we cannot proselytize in there, and was really a nice guy about it. We'd been standing in front of a glass wall and in view of the whole food court. As we're conversing, a student emerges to inform our detainer that she really likes what we do and has heard us a few times. She really doesn't want us to get in any trouble, she tells him.

Dan and I glance at one another, mouths agap. No student has yet defended us, this is really remarkable. But the hotel manager assures her we are in no trouble and will only receive a warning.

Thank You Lord

As I walk through the University lunchroom I pray 'Lord, who do you want me to talk to,' under my breath. A pair of guys at the end of the table closest to the cashier caught my eye. The word this afternoon about the resurrection came to mind, so leading with "have you guys ever heard of the resurrection" we were off.

"OH! I do NOT want to hear about this!" Guy number 1 replies. Number 2 nods.

"Well, alright. I'll leave y'all alone," I assure," but sometimes the Lord wants to tell us stuff even when we don't want to hear it." I pause, asking the Lord for any words.

"YOU NEED TO RESPECT THEM," this 30-something guy begins demands. "STOP FORCING PEOPLE TO BELIEVE WHAT YOU THINK. YOU'RE FORCING YOUR BELIEFS ON PEOPLE," now finished packing he gathers his pack and marches in my direction still yelling.

A little taken aback, I try to explain that I can't force anyone to believe anything and that these two are free to believe what they will. His shouting only escalates, but he soon decides he's repeated himself enough and stomps off. A dissonant silence resumes. Watching from their lunches, students picked up their pizzas again. "Well, God bless y'all," I say to the silent two. I depart.

I sat down with Park next. He's a graduate student from Japan and unfamiliar with the Gospel. Honest and transparent he permits me to sit and share the Good News with him. Meanwhile, the two and my accuser have regrouped, but I try to ignore it as Park asks about what Jesus preached.

"So, Jesus said that the Kingdom of -"
"What's your name?," said the accuser now standing beside us.
"I'm Rus. How about you?" I replied.
"NO. What's your full name?!" he demanded, yanking a paper out of his pocket.
"I'm Russell Lyons. Two s's, two l's. L-y-o-n-s." He scribbles this down and again marches off, my "God Bless" on his heals.

Park and I finish up with little progress and this concludes another day in the UC.