Genuine trumps polite

I have been incredibly humbled to be in this great city of Philadelphia. I came into this ready to be shut down, intimidated and in fear of the people. Making assumptions is never a positive start, and I learned the error of my ways pretty soon.

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We were canvassing in a suburb of Philly, handing out around 600 fliers to complete strangers. I was surprised over and over at how people responded to our approach. Of course there was hesitancy when they thought we were selling something. But then when we “invited” them to join us, they were very interested. 

My favorite part was how honest these strangers were. They were completely transparent with how they felt, which led to some good conversations or at least a moment to show love to someone.

I think back to being at home and how I usually respond to people canvassing for an event in my area. Most of the time, I take a flier to be polite, and then it ends up in the bottom of my backpack or in the trash 30 seconds later when I am out of sight of the organization. 

Philly isn’t like that. People listen to what it is that you offer. If they aren’t interested, they will let you know and tell you they don’t want to waste your time. This may seem cold to those of us who tend to respond with a smile and a nod, but it is honest and genuine.  Those two qualities are imperative to have when we share the gospel. Without them, people might just grab the flier of salvation and throw it away once they leave our sight.

Angela Westmoreland, a student at Texas State University in San Marcos, is serving in Philadelphia with Go Now Missions.


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