This is, in fact, seriously ridiculous.

So let me just share something that has taught me more than any seminar or general session here at NYWC has. I am still not sure what it has taught me, but it is one of those things that you just know will impact your life and everything you do from this point onwards.

Sean and I were getting lost in downtown Pittsburgh just looking for something to eat (and I just enjoy being lost in a place I've never been before). I was wearing my Link costume since it was Halloween and I was getting lots of odd looks from people over 30 and a few "Hey, Link!"s from teenagers and 20somethings. Well on the way back to the convention center, we passed a group of 3 teens maybe somewhere between 17 and 20. These kids were your typical teenagers, somewhat on the punk side, the girl (Kyla) had a lower lip ring I thought looked really cool. They saw my costume and started talking to us (the one guy had a sweet 8-bit Link tattoo on his upper arm). They asked why we were carrying bags with crosses on them, and we told them we were part of a youth ministry conference in town. At this point one of the guys (Thomas) thanked us for "not being dicks" because the last group that walked by had apparently not responded and given them nasty looks when they asked them the same question. He said that all he had to say back to them was "Well fuck you, too!".

Thanks, youth workers, for representing my Jesus so well.

Christians piss me off so bad.

If I felt like being an attention-grabbing writer, I'd probably leave you there with that somewhat offensive and shocking statement, too bad that's not my point.

Here's my point, if a youth worker is not willing to answer a question about a cross on their bag to a group of YOUTH, then who is left to represent Jesus to them? Apparently Sean and I, and anyone who knows us knows that if we are all that's left to be a picture of Jesus, that's a scary thought. Did I speak some profound theological truth into their lives? Absolutely not. I don't know these kids, I wish I did though, they are so much more interesting than the Christians I know. Because I don't know them, I have no right to teach them something they didn't ask to be taught, that right has to be earned through relationship. All I did was stop and talk because I'm an extrovert and "Hey look, new people!"

I am just extremely glad that we got one shot, one 2 minute opportunity to show Thomas and his friends that maybe not all Christians are "dicks".

Jesus, I hope we represented you well, and I ask your forgiveness for our missed opportunities.