Good - "Would you like to go ahead of me?"
Bad - "Move, please." (The please doesn't help.)
Unfortunate - "When's the baby due?"
(Not pregnant... )
"How many of you signed up for this mini-course for just these openers?"
He scanned the room and almost every hand went up. He nodded.
"We are all uncomfortable with strangers at one point or another. Do we make eye contact? Smile? Say something?"
He watched as the audience nodded and smiled at each other. Did they not realize that they were using openers right now? The difference was that they were there for a common reason.
"Why is there pressure to speak to a stranger? Is this self imposed or does society encourage us to communicate or even perform acts of random kindness?"
A small hand went up in the audience.
"Yes? I can't see you, but you can move to the middle aisle if you like."
A small child appeared. "Parents make us scared." Then the child disappeared.
"That is true sometimes. Parents are scared of what can happen to their children in the company of strangers." The little hand went up again.
"Come and talk to us, little one."
The child appeared again and it was a very young boy.
"You can come up here and use the microphone if you like." He handed a hand mic to the child. The child hopped up onto the stage without effort and began to speak. The voice was that of a child, the words were not...
"You live from fear. You should live from love. You are made from My image; My likeness. There is love in everyone and it is up to you to discover that love. You are My children." He paused as everyone, except security, was frozen in place with open-mouthed expressions.
Security was also frozen place now, but not of their own will.
"You see? Even here, you would be afraid of a small child talking to you. I find this sad and worry for you. How can I help you if you can love more than a tightly woven group around you?" He paused again and people reported later that He spoke to each of them in their heads.
"Before I go... I understand that there is reason for some people to be avoided in this new world. It does not mean all people. Open you world to others. Help your neighbor."
He was gone. The microphone rocked slightly on the stage and security fell forward as they were released from their spell.
People looked at each other and stared. Had they really just talked with God?
***
A decade later, not one person at the meeting has changed their mind or their opinion about what happened. God had come to them as a small child and asked them to love more people. All also reported that almost 100% of the time that they were the one who initiated first contact with a stranger.
"Why is there pressure to speak to a stranger? Is this self imposed or does society encourage us to communicate or even perform acts of random kindness?"
A small hand went up in the audience.
"Yes? I can't see you, but you can move to the middle aisle if you like."
A small child appeared. "Parents make us scared." Then the child disappeared.
"That is true sometimes. Parents are scared of what can happen to their children in the company of strangers." The little hand went up again.
"Come and talk to us, little one."
The child appeared again and it was a very young boy.
"You can come up here and use the microphone if you like." He handed a hand mic to the child. The child hopped up onto the stage without effort and began to speak. The voice was that of a child, the words were not...
"You live from fear. You should live from love. You are made from My image; My likeness. There is love in everyone and it is up to you to discover that love. You are My children." He paused as everyone, except security, was frozen in place with open-mouthed expressions.
Security was also frozen place now, but not of their own will.
"You see? Even here, you would be afraid of a small child talking to you. I find this sad and worry for you. How can I help you if you can love more than a tightly woven group around you?" He paused again and people reported later that He spoke to each of them in their heads.
"Before I go... I understand that there is reason for some people to be avoided in this new world. It does not mean all people. Open you world to others. Help your neighbor."
He was gone. The microphone rocked slightly on the stage and security fell forward as they were released from their spell.
People looked at each other and stared. Had they really just talked with God?
***
A decade later, not one person at the meeting has changed their mind or their opinion about what happened. God had come to them as a small child and asked them to love more people. All also reported that almost 100% of the time that they were the one who initiated first contact with a stranger.
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