streetcar cross-hearing

on my way home from a meeting at the offenbar on the tram, a guy sat down across from me and started talking. i was listening to my mp3 player and didnt hear him.. but he was persistent, so i took off my earphone. he said "i bet you're listening to korn." i said no, pfingstpanzer- german christian punk. the guy (mid-30s, very well dressed, beer in hand) couldnt believe it. thus started another cross-hearing...(why do these always come when i am dead tired and not looking for them?)

i'll spare yall the full version of our conversation (mainly because i am too lazy to translate it). it is on my german blog though, so you can read it there... given you read german..

it started with the ten commandments and ended with me calling upon the importance of grace..in between we hit on things like "why do people have to die" and various other things.. it was an 18 minute train ride.. he is a pastors son and lost his two-year old son because it was too cold in the apartment..

its amazing how many people in europe have been dramatically hurt by the church and throw this frustration back at God.
i could understand this mans anger- his son diesd because he couldnt pay the heat, and his own father, a pastor, did nothing. and then, well-meaning christians told him that this death was so that he would think about God! thats hard. i hope i was able to at least get through to him a little, that God doesnt want us to suffer.