A Sticky Note

From behind the travel agent’s desk, a timid young woman handed me a ‘Post-It’ note, folded despite it being already small.  The 2008 Olympics were being held in the next country over and I was learning that security throughout the region was tight – the local customs office was denying all visa applications, which tossed a large spanner into the gears of my travel plans.  This came as no surprise for a number of my friends here. For them, security is tight in the best of times, for the country of which I speak does not tolerate evangelical Christians.

A sticky question.

Now I know scripture tells me to always be prepared to give an account of the hope that I hold; I did not want to deny anything.  Still, a yes to the wrong person could potentially place several new friends of mine in harms way.  I paused long enough to ask for guidance and then ambiguously replied, “Are you?”

“Yes!” she beamed, and instinctively glanced around to see if her office mates had noticed.

“That’s a good thing,” I said beaming back.

Soon I was on my way with a cash refund and a fresh set of tickets.

In some parts of the world, they call that fellowship.

~ by CP on April 12, 2009.