Hawthorne Applause, Lawndale Threats

The great unsaved masses can be a dangeous and fickle lot. They’ll love ya one moment and the next? Well…

On “Good News Tuesday” morning I met “Righteous Richard” at the Hawthorne DMV.
Despite his wife being diagnosed with cancer he joined me for a quick open air evangelism session before about 70 people. The Governator’s budget impasse has been very kind to California DMV preachers; the lines are twice as long! And since they can’t open anymore on Saturday, there’s a megachurch to be preached to every Monday through Friday!

We prepare ourselves by putting the very official looking “Department of Annoyance” badge around our necks.
Richard has actually been able to direct the line back onto the sidewalk with his authoritative badge, confidence of command, and dapper appearance by shouting, “Folks, please get out of the driveway and get onto the sidewalk, please!” They obey and get back onto the sidewalk where it’s a lot easier for them to hear our sermon. Unfortunately, I’m a dead give-away because I wear shorts.

Then we hand out a specially adapted DMV tract that is very useful.

Hey! Who wouldn’t want to be welcomed to the DMV? That’s why we do it, and we do it with a smile!

I welcome everyone with a warm, gracious greeting and transition to horrible, terrible statistics about how they may die in a fiery, awful, bloody crash after leaving the DMV.

I conclude my message with, “Don’t trust in Obama, McCain or your being a Catholic or Protestant… trust in Jesus.”

People actually applauded.

On Tuesday afternoon two sheriffs’ vehicles were parked in the AM/PM minimart parking lot awaiting the exodus from Leuzinger High in Lawndale.

Hundreds upon hundreds of teens walk through this area then wait at a very busy intersection to cross the street. That’s where we are.

With the volume turned up so high on our loud speaker that it made some kids cringe and cover their ears, my friend Alfy and I preached on and on.

I then went across the street to a bus stop, stood on the bench and preached some more as the kids waited for their ride home. A grumpy lesbian teenager didn’t like it, demanding that I step down so she could sit. I ignored her, and continued to preach. She protested loudly to her girlfriend and threatened to punch me in a very sensitive area. I continued to ignore her. Finally she yelled, “I paid for this bench; you better come down now!” I gently explained to her that I acually paid for this bench with my taxes, because I work. Her girlfriend laughed and got a kick out of that.

Ten kids took the good person test outside Taco Bell—all failing— then I bought them a late afternoon feast.

All in a day’s work on “Good News Tuesdays”….

Comments (0)

  1. Paul Latour

    Reply

    I think it so cool that you treat some of the kids to Tacos. Along with what they heard, and the tracts they will read, they’ll be sure to remember the treat that went with it.

    Great job and the DMV, too. Still praying for Richard’s wife.

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