Where is the love?

I knew it was a bad sign. I mean that literally. As I got on a busy northern line train this evening I saw a dark, bearded man in a long, brown coat with yellow sign hung around his neck. It was too packed to actually read his message but I suspected that I wouldn’t have to wait long to find out.

“Where is the love?”

As the train doors closed, with all us commuters trapped, he started. He was here to tell us about his god. He did well to raise his voice above the level of the tube train; holding a conversation with the person next to you can be a challenge but he made himself heard by half of the carriage.

“God is the only way we can be truly happy.”

He confronted a few people, directly asking them what they had last said to god and when. Unsurprisingly they studiously avoided eye contact. If it wasn’t this morning, he added, then it wasn’t too late.

“Why do we read all those other books but not the bible?”

Clearly concerned by the fact that everyone was ignoring him, he rounded on our books. There was only one book worth reading; one book that told us everything we needed to know about Jesus.

“What is happening to the world?”

Good question. What is happening in the world when you can’t get on a tube train without being harassed by Christians? Would he like it if I start leafleting his neighborhood with questions such as “Why doesn?t God heal amputees?

“Children are carrying knives to school!”

I think he’s playing connect the dots now, drawing together the points he’s made so far to make one convincing argument just before we pull into London Bridge. He thinks he’s painting a Turner, unfortunately I’m getting Rorschach tests at best.

Are Christians really any happier than people who don?t believe in an Abrahamic god? Is it truly the only way to be happy? Would children be carrying flowers instead of knives if they were brought up in a religious household?

Did this guy really think he would get any converts? I was probably the only person listening. However I’m not a great audience for him, as I’m fascinated by his conviction but utterly unconvinced by his argument.

“We already heard it! Groan…

Not his words, but those of a passenger just after the doors closed and the preacher started his spiel again, almost word for word.

One thought on “Where is the love?”

  1. Well, as a devout Catholic ( I am, just very very deep inside ) I was delighted to read today That Pope has decided now that babies and unbaptised children will not go to limbo but will indeed enter the gates of heaven as God seems to be kind and that is probably what he would do.
    However, he also urged parents to baptise their kids so that it removes the original sin they come to the world with.
    Why? If he addmited himself kids get to go to heaven without removal, why pay huge sum of money for some guy to throw some water over the kid and scare it to death?

    Maybe next time you get to ask your religious nut that question and report back. Ah the fun you have….

Comments are closed.