Witness to some Jehovahs Witnesses

Round the neighbourhood they go, door to door, generally middle-aged women, trying to scout for new converts. Me. Scraggled, in sweats and a jumper and weeks away from lastshave, said to the ladies 'yeah you can come back next Wednesday and we can talk'.

Admit it: You wanted to jabber about the bible and see what little these peole know.

Admitted? Ego, and not much else? Still not shure.

Soccer practice and being on the wrong side of the city and the evercall of everjenx meant that the 'meet'would be delayed a week - but Thursday, again me notshave/sweats/jumper, they show up. It was the original lady - and this time a heavy. Not two women this time - the original woman and a nicedressed dude who I surmised was a little higher up on the hierarchy chain.

It was he who lead the discussion.

And, for ten minutes, I listened and nodded and read what they wanted me to read. They had their few verses that they attached great meaning to, and I was there for them.

For ten minutes.

Then, it was my turn to jabble. Out came Spong and Erhman and Borg and Crossan and Wills and Pagels and King and them all. Couldn't help it. Wanted so badly to have an intelligent conversation about the bible - teach them even - or was it just my ego? With frenz, I'll talk on the bible, not preach of course but only to illuminate some interesting things* ideas, etc etc etc... With Jakovv (nee Jamie) - so much bible talked between us - when I get something new =either an interesting find or a damning denouncement of his views - there is great joy in "HEY, guess what this author thinks!!!"

But with these two .... not shure my motives...

And, inevitably, as I was talking on about .......... well, the seven authentic letters of Paul and the movement of the bible from something in the oral tradition that was finally written in Aramic to Greek to Latin to English and a favoured original line about Genesis: "If I'm Abraham and I got my son tied to the sacfifice atlar and the Voices in my head are telling me to slaughter my son - I'M NOT LISTENING!" ....as all that was going on - suddenly they had to leave. Work, I think they needed to suddenly go to.

"BUT WAIT!", but too late, as I wanted to show them the books I was talking of and challenging them to read and also feeling bad: was it just me wanting to show off?

Or did I want to convert them?

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*='light to the gentiles"- sorry, Ulysses has be leaved again - first time sonce 2006. I'm so ready.