Two Evangelicals on a Train

Last Tuesday, I caught the train home from College. A few weeks before I sat in the single seat on the express home so I wouldn't have anyone sit next to me and I could get out easily at my stop, but I moved because I decided I was denying myself the opportunity to meet interesting people. Or at least share the same cubic metre or so with a complete stranger. So in the spirit CityRail community I sat in a two seater, next to the window.

Anyway, last Tuesday I did the same thing, I sat in a two seater with a vauge feeling that I might be doing something useful or at the least, mildly adventurous. I sat down, put my mini-disk on (The Healing Game - Van Morrison) pulled out my book (Prayer: Letters to Malcolm - C.S. Lewis) and my Jesus Trip jumper, made a pillow, and began my 20 minute wait till the train left.

At some stage, I put my book down on my knee and fell asleep.

Somewhere between Central and Strathfield I felt a nudge in my side. The person who sat down next to me while I slept had intruded, a little, on my personal space, and woken me up. I wasn't all that worried, but decided to rouse myself from my slumber. I looked across at the person who was sitting next to me and it was a girl who was around my age, looking like a Uni student, reading her Bible. I thought, "Cool".

Then I started thinking, "I should start a conversation. This is the reason why I am sharing such a small space with this person. I sat here just incase an opportunity like this arose, and now it has!" She was reading Deuteronomy. I started thinking of opening lines for the conversation. I thought “I read a sermon on Deuteronomy today”, might be good. But then decided against it thinking that perhaps that was a little un-cool.

I figured she would have known I was at least a bit on the Christian side having my Lewis book on my knee. I didn’t want to be rude. What if she didn’t want me talking to her. I decided to wait until the mini-disk finished. I did that, then waited a bit longer thinking “Should seize the opportunity. Should seize the opportunity.”

She finished what she was reading, closed her Bible and put it in her little Bible box and put it away. I suddenly had a window of opportunity. I turned to her and said:

“Did you finish your reading?” (Stupid question, “No, I’m still reading with the book in my bag.” But it may be the case that most conversations like that start with stupid questions)

She relied that she had. She was finding it a little tedious working through all the Laws.

And we were away. We talked about how I had read a sermon from Deuteronomy today, and about what we thought of Deuteronomy. We discussed what we did with our lives. She was a good Uni Christian, having spent almost all day with the Uni Christian group. She was a bit tired. I tend to fall asleep when tired. What church? Oh ok, do you know this person? Do you know that person? She’d never heard of my church. We talked a little more.

At Epping she got off. Good bye. And that was the end. I didn’t find out her name or anything like that, and I’m glad I didn’t. I didn’t sit in that seat to pick up. I sat there to perhaps meet people. And I met a person and had a conversation. Good for me. I never start conversations, sometime not even with people I know. Much less with people I don’t. But last Tuesday I did. How interesting.

Someone sat next to me today but I didn’t talk to her. She just ate Tiny Teddies and I looked out the window.