We met a really neat guy today, Alan. Friday was a day off from PFT as it is for the next two minutes Independence Day. Everyone involved in PFT was invited down to Central Park for a Lunch Picnic. The Sandwiches (catered) were excellent. So we hopped on the R to Manhattan and switched over to the #6 heading north at Lexington Ave. A couple blocks from the Subway and presto, we're in front of the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). The MOMA is on the east side of Central Park right at 81 St. So, as we're heading into the park, all the art vendors are lined up outside the art museum peddling their wares. As we walk by this one guy (Alan) he hands Amber (our artist) a post card. So I stopped and asked, "How'd he know she was the artist." He didn't of course, but that allowed us to strike up a conversation.
Wow! I feel so sheltered. Alan is Albanian and has lived in NYC since he was 19 y.o. I asked how it was that he came to NY. He told me that when he was 19 he escaped from communist Albania. He had traveled to the border and then late one night snuck upto the border fence and cut through the fence to get into Yugoslovia. He was accepted as a political refugee and moved to the US. He's been here ever since.
He wanted to know where we were from and what were we doing in NYC. I told him that I'm the Assoc. Pastor at BPC and a missionary to Mexico. He said that back in Albania that he hadn't attended church. That Christianity, as well as Islam was against the law. Further, he explained that at that time the communist either occupied or destroyed are the religious buildings in Albania. So he didn't know a lot about those kind of things. However, he did attend St. James Church down on 71 St. And he did believe in Jesus. He added that he'd been attending SJ for less than four years. But what was so amazing is that he instantly invited me and the family to worship.
There is nothing quite like our mystical union with Christ which unites all believers everywhere, the true catholic church. This young Christian but middle-aged man from Albania blessed me in such a tremendous way today. I forgot to mention that personally, he was quite meek. But that didn't prevent him from inviting us to his church. What boldness.
Pray the all of us would have that kind of humble boldness.
In Christ,
Michael