RETURN OF THE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

And then the Jehovah’s Witnesses came round. I was expecting the mechanic so when the doorbell went, I ran downstairs and flung open the front door.

Young man and old man, black jackets, smart shoes, white shirts poking, clipboard, leaflets. I knew at once who they were.

The young man was a boy really. He was nervous, twitchy, a little bit afraid of what he was doing but glazed with eagerness and innocence. The older man, a Caribbean chap with a smile, was more at ease with himself. It’s been this way since time immemorial; the elder and the student, the Jedi and padawan. I knew who would get the job of speaking first too.

Sure enough, the youngling went for it and politely introduced himself. I smiled.

“Do you worry about your future?” was the opening gambit. It’s such an interesting question! My mind was already racing. Mostly with ‘What would my Dad do?’ - he was always the master at this conversation, bringing that excellent combination of knowledge (he knows their faith inside out), wisdom (he knows when to talk and when to listen) and compassion (he never forgets that people are real human beings).

“No,” I said, “ Not really. Have you read Jeremiah 29:11?”

It’s funny how pressurised this situation feels. I know, I know, most people just politely shut the door on them. But I’ve always found this kind of thing really difficult - like a test, almost, and it’s always one that comes out of the blue. Will my faith hold up? Will I be able to say the right thing? What would *everyone I know* be thinking? The same questions led me to debate some Mormons in the park once, and I kind of wished I hadn’t. I felt inadequate then, but I did want to help, even if they nearly tangled my faith into knots. So this time I kept it to the Bible.

The Witnesses looked the passage up on their phones and then read it out to me - at which point, I was able to share a bit more about what I think the future holds, and why I’m not worried. Hello doorstop Bible-study.

“It’s nice to meet someone with strong faith,” said the older man as they left. I looked at the young one and smiled. He looked like he wanted to ask me a question, but the older guy was already heading back to the road. “Hope and a future!” I called to them. I said a prayer, quickly and quietly, then gently pulled the door to.