I felt like I should step in a stop a fight tonight!

Earlier tonight as I was walking out of aplacetotalk, I heard a man screaming. He sounded angry, so angry I was just sure he was about to hurt someone. Dean was walking out with me and I turned to him and asked if he would follow me and see if I needed any help. My first reaction was fear for the woman the angry man was getting ready to beat or kill.

How did I know he was yelling at a woman, well I only made out one word of his screaming - "whore!" Since I have never heard a man yell "whore" at another man, I assumed this was a lady in danger.

Dean responded "That sounds like a job for the police or sherif." Just as I was starting to call Ken Hopkins, I heard the yelling continue, and I began to listen closer. The voice was still angry, but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Then Dean figured it out.

"That's the tent up the street."

I couldn't decide what to do or what to think, my desire to protect someone being hurt was still there. I drove up the street intending to listen for a bit out the window of my truck, but once there I decided to walk out in the field where I could get a peep into the tent.

The "preacher" didn't sound like a good news preacher, but I am sure that he wouldn't appreciate that comment. The 8 - 10 people under the tent didn't look like they were hearing good news either. As I stood there in the field, my first reaction was to laugh inside. But I quickly felt sad and disappointed in myself for reacting as if the situation was funny. It was ironic, but certainly not funny.

I feel sorry for the preacher since he felt like he needed to hollar for an hour to such a small crowd, I wonder why he couldn't have sat down and had a conversation with the dozen or so participants.

I feel sorry for those being screamed at because they looked hot, tired, and bored. I wonder if they could've been happier fellowshipping (fellowship is the religious word for hanging out) with family or friends after work instead of dressing up and going to a tent.

I feel sorry for the guys who set up the tent, because I am sure they were hoping for something more when they put the sweat and labor into setting up such a large tent. (I bet the tent could sit 500 if the chairs were arranged tightly.)

I felt sorry for me, since my first response was laughter. I wish I were more compasionate than I am.

As I pulled away, I thought about a child who has learned to walk make fun of his little brother or sister who is learning to walk. That is sick, and evil. Most any father would rather the brother help his little brother as he learned to walk.

Then I began to wonder how I could lead the people of aplacetotalk to help that tent preacher and those who attended his tent. Then I thought about what others would think if we were helping a group who seem to be preaching law, anger, and I just assume that legalism follows. Then I thought well maybe we could teach them about the New Covenant that Jesus came to establish, a covenant of grace.

Then I thought... maybe I should get a tent and take a month and set it up in different places for 2 - 3 night at a time advertising a "tent meeting" 7pm each night. When people arrived I could talk to them about grace, and have real conversations about Jesus and His message of love, forgiveness, and freedom from the bondage of sin and sickness. I would assume that the type of people who showed up for a tent meeting would be the very same type of people who would be very confused by a message of love, forgiveness, freedom, and grace.

I just listened to Andy Stanley teach about a quote from Craig Groshell today... "To reach people that no one else is reaching we have to try things that no one else is trying." I want to try things no one else is trying... and truth is - I don't think there are many grace teachers out there trying to reach the religious extreme. Maybe I should seriously consider this... maybe, maybe not.