‘There’s nowt as queer as folk!’

For better or worse, the single best thing about what we’re doing in Stratford, are the people we meet. There’s rarely a day goes past without an intriguing conversation or a chance encounter with people we barely know or those we are getting to know as we journey together. Today was no different.

When Trevor called he introduced himself as an ‘evangelist watchman’ with something to ‘share’. While intrigued I was hosting a local residents meeting at the time so the best I could do was to take down his number and agree to call him once done.

Unfortunately time was short and so I invited Trevor to join Joshua and I as we headed to the park. It turned out that what Trevor wanted to ‘share’ was that we are in the end-times – ‘I mean look how many people are defiling the temple with tattoos and piercing!’ Very keen to reassure me that he was merely telling me what Scripture says (‘its not my opinion, it’s what the Word says!) he went on to argue that women should be covering their heads, most ministers are liars and churches disobediently observe the Sabbath if they do so on a Sunday!

A recurring aspect, and particularly virulent theme, of his ‘message’ was the need for ‘us’ to ‘protect our children from the homosexuals’, I wasn’t entirely sure what he thought they’re going to do, but the NSPCC apparently abuse children as they allow gay people to adopt children (I’m not entirely sure that the NSPCC have anything to do with adoption, but I’m not sure he was too bothered!)

Having walked together for an hour I felt I’d got the ‘message’ (or at least had enough!). Our time ended suitably bizarrely when he cryptically, and not a little ominously, asked ‘do you believe I have the rule over you?’ I wasn’t sure that I did (or that I wanted to!), but what I did know is that I was really glad I had to put a steak pie in the oven!

As we walked together there were two things I kept thinking. The first centred upon something Rob Bell has written in his book Velvet Elvis:

‘…let’s be honest. When you hear people say they are just going to tell you what the Bible means, it is not true. They are telling you what they think it means. They are giving their opinions about the Bible. It sounds nice to say, ‘‘I’m not giving you my opinion; I’m just telling you what it means.’’

The problem is, it not true.’

The second was that ‘there’s nowt as queer as folk!’ (No ‘abominable’ pun intended!)