How to Talk to Strangers
In my daily trolling through my RSS feeds (which, for older generations, is the equivalent of daily reading the newspaper with the exception that you choose the subjects and source from which it comes) I was fascinated as I read all about how to talk to strangers. The author enthusiastically touted the benefits of mastering the art of meeting and engaging new people in conversation.
“Walking up to people you don’t know and striking up conversation is the social equivalent of skydiving. It’s fun, interesting, and risky. And it will change your life. You’ll meet new people every day, you’ll give yourself control over your social and love life, and you’ll experience firsthand the joy of living dangerously. But how do you go from sitting in front of a computer to habitually starting conversations with strangers on a daily basis? Read on, aspiring social skydiver, read on…”
The author continued by listing 4 steps to the process proceeded by helpful tips and even a list or warnings like, “you might end up standing around like a loser” and “some people will think you’re creepy.”
What fascinated me the most was the fact that this article was coming from an average guy with no other agenda than that of overcoming one’s own introversion and experiencing what the people around us may have to offer …. or what we may have to offer them. Obviously he used benefits such as dating and partying but we all have our motives.
While reading, I could not help but think about how so many Christians could benefit from the article’s advice. So many of us, especially those with more melancholy personalities, have lived in fear of the challenge given us to “go forth, making Christlike disciple in the nations.” Not only do we have the challenge of approaching and engaging strangers in conversation, but we have a goal, an objective, in mind for doing so. To some that challenge is exquisitely exciting. To the rest of us, it is horror. To me it’s horror. But reading that article, doing those simple steps, I can do that. I would enjoy that. I would like to meet people and be more open to an organic relationship, a more organic leading of the Holy Spirit as He ministers to others through me. Not a hard, fast reading of a script that is failure unless some repeats after you at the end.
What do you think?
I feel like I am braver when I talk to strangers about my faith. With friends and family, there is more at stake for me. I want my loved ones to be saved, but I also don’t want to inadvertently push them away prematurely with my sharing. I pray that God gives me the courage, the words, and the character to be a better witness for Him.
January 15th, 2009 at 11:50 pmHey Dan. Really great thoughts and writing. My New Years Resolution is the 3 seconds of eye contact – you know when you’re in line – actually interacting with the cashier, people around you, instead of being in my world of ‘to dos’…being in the moment is a good thing for human ‘beings’. Love ya and thanks for the good word and reminder…it might help if i struck a conversation with strangers instead of just staring at them for 3 seconds…lol
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