like-minded brothers

A couple of days ago I received an email from a friend at church, who was forwarding an email about an upcoming evangelism event. The event was the Anoka County Halloween Parade. The city of Anoka Minnesota likes to boast that it’s the biggest Halloween parade in the nation. Regardless, it’s grown over the years into an event that brings out the community in large numbers. Just the right kind of event for some serious “tracking” evangelism, where large numbers of gospel tracts are distributed.

I had hoped additional people from my church would join us, but I arrived at the designated house, the point of departure, and found I was the only representative. But, that was okay, I knew that God would bring grace for any social anxiety I might have because of it.

I soon found myself among like-minded brothers as introductions were made. Mike’s garage was the hub of preparations activity, with boxes of tracts, Bibles, and gospel DVD’s. We were encouraged to fill up our knapsacks with the rich gospel materials. The tracts were especially well-suited to the event, being Way Of The Master million dollar bills of assorted sizes. I use my photographer’s vest instead of a knapsack because of the numerous pockets and the even weight distribution. By the time.I was finished stuffing pockets I was well weighed down. But, if you have put on weight this is the best kind!

The team of seven split into two groups to work the parade, each starting at opposit ends of the parade route to work the crowds along the way. At the beginning where my group started it was wall-to-wall people. Generally, people were eager to accept the imitation bills. It seems to appeal to the consumer, or perhaps the greed, in each of us. You see something that looks like currency, and your all for receiving it!
After I ran out of gospel material I had a chance to observe the crowds and the event. While I celebrated Halloween lots of times as a kid, and our family saw no real harm in it, even apart from the fleshly darkness that has become so prevelant today, I now find myself sad that we make a celebration out of such things. I shudder to think how much worse the reality of hell is, than even the darkest expression of Halloween. If anything, this celebration should motivate believers to work harder, that by God’s grace, many more would be spared such a truly gruesome fate as eternal suffering, where “their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48).

Still, it was a fine late Fall day for a parade. And, it was good to be out and about putting something of life into the hands of young and old. So many tracts went into the buckets and bags of little ones who would not understand its message. I silently prayed that God would move in households when parents examined the contents, that parents would be won to Christ, and in turn train little ones to become wise for salvation.
My time with my previously unknown brothers was brief, but a blessing all the same. There is nothing that bonds so quickly as working together for the glory of Jesus Christ. God’s grace was manifest as we began running into each other toward the center of the parade route. It wasn’t too long before we were all reunited. Then, we walked together to a house a few blocks away, where a wonderful Christian family greeted us and invited us in for warm drinks and snacks. A while latter we headed back to the cars and drove back to Mike’s house, where we blessed one another and said our goodbyes.
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news” (Romans 10:15, NIV)
 Dave E