The Unexpected Evangelist

Last night, as I was waiting for my husband to slowly inch his way to picking me up on First Avenue in practically standstill traffic, I saw a homeless man on the street. I went inside the nearby McDonald’s to get a coffee while I waited. The homeless man followed me inside.

Usually I’d be a little nervous to have someone following me.  But around his neck was an “I love Jesus” lanyard.

That put me at ease.  He didn’t ask me for money even though outside he had been begging.  Instead he just sat next to me to talk.  We talked about the traffic outside and the snow, and he told me that he felt bad for all the drivers stuck on the street.

It was perhaps an odd way to wait for my husband, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. When I got up to leave he told me to stay warm, and I told him the same.  I hoped that his coat was warm enough against the cold.

Today, as I was thinking about the situation, I wondered why I didn’t offer him any money when I left.  Then I realized that by the time I was done talking with him I had completely forgotten that he was homeless.  He was just another person who also happened to love Jesus.

For me, he was a great evangelizer, even though we didn’t talk about religion at all.