park life

Retiro park possibly one of the best parks in the world, lakes roman colonades, drummers, posers, mimers funny shaped trees Victorian glass houses and waterfalls. This was the heart of Madrid, and we were there for the day to talk to people about god. - scary? just slightly.

Armed with coffee, guitars a couple of tables and chess sets, we headed to the lake, a sign saying free prayer not to be confused with the parks many palm readers, card readers, heather selling gypsies and harry krishners. it was an eclectic mix but a bunch of Christians in high spirits singing some decent worship tunes handing out free latte and offering prayer attracted people all day, the range of conversations varied from the aggressive to those needing prayer to those giving their lives to Christ right there and then.

I walked over to a guy doing a kids snake thing, his puppet snake costume didn't hide his tired eyes as i offered him a coffee his face didn't really brighten, he was by trade a circus performer with by all accounts decent acts but the police didn't like him doing on them. He inquired what we were doing i told him about our plans for the day, for India his response was cutting 'why cant you leave those people alone? they don't need your help' my reply was that washing feeding and clothing street kids, showing them a bit of gods love in a practical way was i'm sure welcome help, showing people here in Madrid a bit of gods love worship music, offering prayer and as i nodded to his coffee free hot drinks were always a blessing to people on a surprisingly cold day' he couldn't argue. He was annoyed at something so I didn't prod but wished him a good day and left.

I couldn't rest though something about him kept bugging me so after praying with a friend about various people the group were speaking with, the coffee started to run out, i took one over and waited patiently for a break in his snake act the kids were loving. He stalled i could tell he didn't want to speak to me again, he used his snake to tell the kids to wait as he desperately foregged in his bag for some music. I prayed ' god your will be done, overrule this situation if you want me to stick around and speak to him' he gave up trying to work the music system and started to sing - badly and looking rather bonkers the crowd dispersed and i walked over with the coffee. He was flustered as he tried to put the snake back in the costume, 'the coffees running out thought you might like one before its gone,' 'do ya reckon i could get 'em to worship this in India then!?' he quipped, what do they want your western god for when they have thousands?' 'theres only one god who gives you true peace. can i pray for anything for you?' his face changed, ' I don't believe in anything out of my own, my own, erm..' 'capability' i finished 'capability, thank you' " well if you change your mid i'm just over there, your welcome to come over for a chat or if there is anything i can pray for you, if not have a good day and enjoy the coffee.' 'his face softened the defenses dropped and looking slightly perplexed he muttered 'thank you'.

I later spoke to a guy who said he knew god he didn't believe, it made no sense even in Spanish without translation, the guy said he spoke to spirits, he intrigued me. I got into conversation with him at the end, i wish i hadn't wasted the hour previous being bored. I was dying to know why this guy thought what he thought, his image of god was sad it was disapointed, i wish id had time to go deeper, He showed me some aramaic writting and gave me a little on a sheet he couldnt translate what he believed but this scribble was ment to mean something, i was dying to give him one one my drawings and write a scripture on the back but they were all too personal.
something about him kept me thinking so i would pray for him and if it was gods will i would meet him again and if not hopefully a bunch or happy Christians would make him think that maybe there was something to god that could bring joy. Maybe im just nieve, but there is something to jesus that you cant get anywhere else, face to face evangelism was terrifying but talking to someone really really about what you believed was fasinating.