A String Of Strange Coincidences Indeed
| Written by: | Baz Anderson |
| Published: | April 12, 2009 |
About 16:50 I looked at my essay questions for my assessments due in a couple of weeks. I looked at my books to see if anything in them would be of any use, but none were. For some reason, I don't know why, this is not something I would normally do; I wrote down the names of some apparently useful books and wandered into town to see if they were there. They weren't. I started walking home but instead of starting to walk the way back I entered town, I thought for some unknown reason it might be of mild amusement to walk back a different way. As I got to the point in the journey when it was time to choose whether to go back the normal way or the "different" way, a group of idiots were behind me and were walking in the direction of the "different" way. Overhearing a few comments between them regarding me, I would have normally just avoided them and gone back the original way to avoid any trouble. This time, for reasons unknown, perhaps I just felt like they didn't have the right to influence where I walked, I decided to just carry on going the "different" way back. Incidentally nothing happened with the gang.
So I was walking back the "different" way and I nearly got home, but just before the last turn onto my street a 27 year old, black, smart and intelligent looking man stopped me as I was about to walk past him. He asked of my religion in an un-intrusive way, so I told him I didn't believe in anything. I told him I don't glorify religion and I don't bash it, I just put it to one side and ignore it. This man being a Christian, we stood and talked for perhaps quarter of an hour talking about religion, Christianity and existence. He asked if perhaps some time in the future I would like to meet with him and read over some parts of the Bible. For some reason I felt comfortable with this guy, he was friendly and conversation was somewhat stimulating so I pulled out my phone from my pocket, looked at the time and with nothing to do for a couple of hours thought "what better time than the present". I walked with him down to his house, this stranger I had just met's house, and sat in his bedroom whilst he found a Bible for both of us to look at. He told me I was very trusting, I replied "well, life has been a bit boring recently".
For about two hours we sat and discussed the Bible after reading little part by part. I liked his enthusiasm and I liked his dedication to Christianity but every part of the Bible we read, I had something negative to say about it. I don't believe in God, I am a scientist, I work with facts, this book was full of threats and wild assumptions. It didn't sit particularly well with me but I kept listening to what he was saying. He asked what got me up every morning, asked what I lived for. I told him nothing got me up, I told him I enjoy my metal, I said that was the biggest part of me, and also that I enjoy my photography and psychology very much, but nothing "gets me up" each morning. Seems being a Christian gives him a reason to get up every morning, he was motivated and enthused about being a good Christian and following the rules of this book. I was not convinced though, but still after I told him I needed to go, he gave me one of his bibles, wrote down some chapters to read and left me his contact details too.
Before I went I asked "so what made you stop me in the street and ask about my religion"? He, almost somewhat embarrassed replied that he had prayed, he had prayed to meet someone that was lost, someone that was open to perhaps guide.
I left and walked home with something to think about. Why had I so uncharacteristically ran into town for some books when the shops were about to close, why did I decide to go the "different" way home, and even with the gang of idiots behind me I kept to that track, and also why did I uncharacteristically find enjoyment in talking to a complete stranger about religion of all things. Why did I warm to this guy and even trust him enough to go back to his house with him to do something I would have never dreamed of doing - read parts of the Bible instead of coming back home to my games and entertainment. A prayer? Don't be silly. A string of strange coincidences indeed.
I am not religious and I severely doubt I will ever be changed, but reading those parts of the Bible was somewhat interesting if not a little disconcerting and frustrating at times. I have the guy's phone number and he urged me to contact him to perhaps meet up in the future. As much as I liked the guy, I don't think I will though, but who knows.
A strange tale, I thought may as well be told.
Comments
Comments: 20
Visited by: 103 users
| Ragana Rawrcat Posts: 4919  |
Interesting. At the beginning I actually thought the article will be about something really bad (honestly, Christians scare me and I had the thought that probably you've been: a) beaten by that gang; b) nearly escaped from a pedophile). However, for a non-believer I believe that The Bible would be just an interesting book. Like reading aphorisms and trying to figure out if this is true what are they saying. I'm not sure if there is anything more. Anyway, it seems like you've had an interesting day.
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| jupitreas hi-fi / lo-life Staff Posts: 6659  |
That reminds me of the day when I was going back home from a party, decided to get another beer before going to sleep and ended up hanging out with a homeless guy, helping him find a building where he could sleep. Things like that happen sometime and are one of life's awesome qualities, so I think you should treasure this memory.
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| tulkas el parcero Posts: 4742  |
Well, first off, if that happened here in Colombia, it's unlikely you'd live to tell the tale. that's why, if it happened to me, and here, i would've never have gone with a stranger to his house, no matter what he was offring. here... you just can't trust nobody. now, coincidence or not, it was very interesting, although maybe the dude just kept asking, or would've kept asking strangers for their religion untill he met a non-religious person, such as yourself. (yeah, i'm pretty skeptical about stuff). but lke ragana said, bing a non-christian, it's still interestint to read at least parts of th bible: i have (althugh it was for a class a university about Dante). but whatever the rsult (and good ting it was a posituve resul for you), imo it is very interestng to just talk to a complete stranger, even more if their belifs not just about religion but aout anything are different.
---- love is like a jar of shit with a strawberry on top
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| Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920  |
As Tulkas, I wouldn't have gone to a stranger's house. But as I've seen in my few days in London, people in UK seems really unoffensive. Anyway, one of the best friend of mine, a very Catholic person, would say that God wants to save you, so has "arragned" this meeting with the stranger to tell you to embrace faith, or better, to prove you th evidence of the fact that Christian religion is the way.
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| Valentin B Iconoclast Posts: 10094  |
Yeah indeed a lot of stuff going on in the same day.. and yeah i think that guy probably stopped about 2-3 people before you came along(did you ask him how many people he asked?)
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| Thryce Retired Staff Elite Posts: 4346  |
Written by Ragana on 12.04.2009 at 01:38 Well there you have it. Not every stranger is a pedophile. Some people are just nice. On a more philosophical note, I strongly believe new and exiting events are bound to occur everytime you start walking unfamiliar paths... as long as you're open to them of course - that's the sole condition (not all good things come to those who wait, you know, take a "risk" once in a while). I mean, you could just have continued your walk, ignoring the man's invitation to meet with him - simple as that. The story reminded me of a passage in Nicci Gerard's "Simple in the Moonlight" too, so eventually every (social) person has had similar experiences one way or another. As long as you've developed a certain amount of social skills, these things just happen - whether you pray for them to happen or not. EDIT: destroyah nailed it.
---- Your favorite band sucks.
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| destroyah supercharger Elite Posts: 12195  |
It's exactly that kind of events that make life more colorful.
---- About me: "The best out of all the people ever" - Washington Post "We abandoned Christ for Destroyah's love!" - The Watchtower "Simply amazing!" - Rolling Stone
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62000  |
Remainds me some sad events of my past Like my grandparents say dont take anything away from cemetary no metters waht So I and my friend was 12 and we was at cemetary and we sw 100lats(ragana I hope you know what meanintg was of 100 lats in 1993) he bought a lot of fuel for his moped(I hope in englsih is name moped? ). , well , I sad him leave it, dont take it , he tock it , after he saw dreams how his bicke be crasing in car accident , one week he saw it and tehn it hepened , Other guy was killed, he survive but was coplitly diferent, he was locke dup in jail for some crimes after accident ... Idiots well such thinks hepen her, walk from light to dark way and there be, damn my Dr. Martens are good wepeon if fight broke up. better run and be alive how play hero , since im not Chuck Norris Well man, it might be God  georgians if some stranger come to home, its be guest , he be treateh like God, ll good food, wine be givven , shared whit him ,In Zone reality is good show Beyond beleaf, Fact or Fition, 5 small stories some are inspired by actual ivents, some are fake, well maybe I see this on zone reality after 10 years
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| Baz Anderson Staff Posts: 13254  |
Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I thought it would be a shame to keep such a story to myself. Yeh, telling the story to other people it does sound crazy just walking into a stranger's house, but I am a very aware individual and am good at reading into other people. I would have known if this guy wasn't trustworthy. Reading the comments of what it is like in Colombia I can't help but think you're exaggerating it a little. I am sure there are kind and friendly people that live there, you might just be in the wrong area. The whole country can't be full of "bad eggs", there must be some people there that would be friendly and civil. Regarding how many people he might have stopped before me. Well you never know do you, but this guy wasn't soliciting on a busy street or just waiting by the side to pounce on people and try and convert. This guy was going somewhere, he was walking down the street in the opposite direction and it seemed almost like a shock to him that he had stopped me. It didn't seem like something he had planned, or done with many other people, if any. Indeed, this is one of those little experiences that will create conversation in the future and something to look back on with some fondness. It is a memory I am going to try and keep.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62000 |
There 2 thinks, never trust to starnger and starnger can be your only trusted friend From expierience those weirdos and so called ''jerks'' ''retired people'' always is not so dangerous, how weirdos in suit, because you never know what weirdo cn do, but those who talk some ''pyscho speach'' they jsut talk , tell about visions, there people who can talk whit deat souls, who can helps ould get to afterlife, some can tell fortune, we never know. I havnt seen such weird people, but I never joke whit mystical thinks and unexplained thinks  I remeber here was oen guy whit beard who was more more funny he talked weird thinks, like Im from Atlantide, I liked argue whit him, when I disagree about Atlantide I told I was Conan he didnt know wht to say , havnt seen him for ages 
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by Baz Anderson on 12.04.2009 at 16:14 The country is called ColOmbia not Columbia
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.04.2009 at 17:02 Article is called ThE not Thw Sorry I had to do that
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by Elio on 12.04.2009 at 17:20 I think you need new glasses, sir, cause I spelled it correctly. Just look at my post and your quote. 
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 12.04.2009 at 17:23 ahaha damn you Marcel 
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| Ragana Rawrcat Posts: 4919 |
Written by Thryce on 12.04.2009 at 12:46 Oh, wariness is not a sin, you know. And in fact I think it's healthier to be more careful and sceptical, than being open-minded to everything. You never know what is going to happen. Besides, it's not like I'm not talking to strangers at all. I just wouldn't allow myself to go to his (or maybe ever her) house - I wouldn't feel very comfortable and to be honest - I would be quite angry to hear that I'm lost or something, heh.
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| Baz Anderson Staff Posts: 13254 |
Perhaps I haven't put myself across properly. He didn't tell me I was "lost", he wasn't like one of these typical annoying Christians you get preaching and trying to convert people on streets. Of course, I wouldn't have taken lightly to being called "lost" or whatever. And you can all blindly say you wouldn't have gone back to his house as much as you like, but I think you have to play every situation for what it is. I'm not stupid.
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| Vunts Posts: 910  |
This article reminded me of one time where a mormon approached me. I never send those people away straight away, so we had a chat as well, since it appeared we were both waiting for a bus. He was a nice fellow. Struggled to speak in Estonian, even though he was clearly British, so I said that I can speak English fine too. The talk here is irrelevant, so I will skip that part. When my bus came, it turned out that he was going on it as well. I said that I'm waiting for a different bus, so we parted ways and I simply waited for the next bus to come. After about 5 minutes had passed, the bus came, and I went to my friend's flat, who lives quite near me. I told him of the mormon and wanted to laugh about it a bit, but then he said that a mormon went to his door also. As it turned out from further questioning, it was the same exact guy that I was talking to in town. I don't mean to hijack your story, but it was simply reminded to me thanks to your post, and I didn't see it fit for anywhere else. Those people generally aren't that bad. One evening I also talked to some bit hippy-like christian in some ally, and I was late to class because of it, and I knew I was going to be late. He passed me a phone number too and invited me over to his house, saying that he has multiple different books to prove his points. I was interested in what those other references are, but I don't trust them enough to go with them. Even if they won't do anything bad, I still wouldn't be as brave as you were!
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| Dane Train Beers & Kilts Elite Posts: 8902  |
Baz, I guess all my feelings for your story can be summed up in one word: Hallelujah! I truly believe there is truth in you two meeting. I know so many times I have prayed to meet someone that needs my help and whom I can begin to lead to Christ before I go out and I meet someone. Sure non-believers may say it is just coincidence, but I have seen it happen way too many times for it to be just random happenings. It is such a blessing to know that this man took the time to just love on you and be a friend. That is what followers of Christ are called to do. I'll continue to pray that you and he continue your relationship. Blessings, D. Train
---- (space for rent)
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62000 |
Written by Ragana on 12.04.2009 at 18:05 Girls can not talk to stranger, only you have loded Magnum gun reday for use , otherwise nop Damn I mentaly il, poeple are strong amnd dnver changes Here live one, he once trow about 100kg stone and now he's 80' or more he looks like he was 40 years ago 
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9718  |
I think there was some child molesters in my city who used that same trick.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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