Another Day – Another Barber

I’ve decided to visit some new barbers so I can share the gospel with some new people. I’m quickly learning that most regular barbers (I’m not referring to “hair stylists”) are older fellow’s that are generally “good” people: they attend church, are easy-going, very easy to talk to, and know about God - - but don’t seem to have any real relationship with Him, and likely are thinking somewhat about the “tip” a person might leave all throughout the haircut and conversation.

I’ve also found it is a little different in sharing with a barber that you don’t know. Today I started by asking about his background – and we talked about my occupation at the same time. The first reference to spiritual issues occurred when he mentioned that he cuts hair a few days a week at the VA facility that is nearby. As we talked about the VA facility and the latest Veterans Administration funding cuts, I asked if they still had a nursing home at the VA. He said they do. I mentioned our church meets in a local nursing home once a week.

Eventually, I mentioned that the other barber who worked at the same store and had cut my hair last month was a Catholic – and I asked him if he was a Catholic. He was. We then began discussing the commandments. He was very defensive of his lying! He felt white lies were just fine, as long as they weren’t hurtful to others. He wouldn’t readily admit to stealing, but said he must have when he was young. He said he had definitely taken God’s name in vain (and, since I knew he was a church-attending Catholic I was able to be surprised and say, “What?? I thought you said you were a Catholic?? Taking God’s name in vain?!”). I asked if he had children (four – and a number of grandchildren), and I said I hoped he didn’t swear around them (he assured me he hadn’t – and I said that was good). When I asked if he wanted to talk about murder or adultery he said either was fine with him because he hadn’t done either of them! As I shared how God looks at the heart and that anger and hate are similar to murder, he only partially agreed. He shared how he gets angry at people at different times, but has never wished anyone dead (other than perhaps Hussein or other dictators).

I then shared the moral of the story: how others would look at him and see a good, church-going person, but God would look at him and see someone that has lied, stolen, blasphemed, and committed murder in his heart. I then asked if God were to judge him based on those commandments, would he be innocent or guilty – and he said he would be as guilty as everyone else. I asked if he would go to heaven or hell and he said he hoped heaven.

There wasn’t a whole lot of time left, but we did then talk about “false” hope and the various analogies of a criminal before an honest judge. It was neat because the story I share about my grandfather being in a car wreck occurred in front of the very location I was having my hair cut!

I left him with the “Are You Good Enough to Go To Heaven” tract (which is very detailed) – and encouraged him to read his Bible. I also left an IQ Test bookmark. I’ll be praying for his salvation and will be interested in having my hair cut by him at least once more to see if I can follow-up on our talk.