Preaching on the Train

I ride the MARTA train to and from work every day, and you run across some interesting people. And hear some interesting things. Which is why the MARTA regulars all carry books, so they can at least pretend to be preoccupied.

One day, for instance, I heard someone preaching behind me. It sounded like preaching anyway. On a closer listen, however, I discovered the gentleman wasn't preaching about God, he was preaching about... gravity? He sounded exactly like a pentecostal preacher, but what he said went a little something like this...

Yes! Gravity! From the day you were born... gravity had a hold on you! That's right! Gravity pulled you down, and wouldn't let go! You were always under the hold of gravity!

And on an on he went, but never once mentioned anything about God or religion or whathaveyoulikeat. I was fascinated. He was clearly quite inspired about gravity and its effects on humanity. He was behind me, so unfortunately I never got a look at either him or his audience, but he was most definitely the only one speaking.

And he had a point! Ever since I was born, gravity has indeed had a profound and visible hold on me.

On several occasions, a couple of men with dreadlocks or whatnot, often on a crowded train, will get into an ardent, loud, discussion about how the world is falling into anarchy. Like yesterday, for example. One fellow was telling another that he wouldn't be surprised if complete chaos didn't take over soon, with mobs in the streets and everything. Like a movie he had just seen. These people make me bury my head deeper in my book, because they usually get abnormally loud, and look kinda scary to boot. I half expect them to try and start a little anarchy on the train.

But these people, too, sound inspired, as though they're preaching. Like this excerpt from one of the guys I heard on the train yesterday...

I would not be sur-prised if, even today, men and women did not begin raging in the streets. What you have to understand is that... the condition of people's minds... what they are thinking, determines how they will act!

And he had a point! When I get on the train, I think I will bury my head in a book. And that is, in fact, how I act.