I live in a community where too many guys spend their Sunday mornings attending Sunday School and their summer evenings at Vacation Bible School instead of going hiking, going water-skiiing, smoking pot by a pool, or grabbing a beer together after work. I tried to mind my own business but when people like me wouldn't come to them, they would instead come to us. These suburban missionaries almost always dropped by during supper or while I was busy washing the car. Although I sometimes get a kick sparring over doctrine, verse, or church organization, most of the time I just quietly accepted their brochures and sent them along to the next house. But I decided about 6 weeks ago that should they ever return when I was home alone, I wouldn't be such a disinterested lost soul. I wanted to teach them an uncomfortable lesson that they wouldn't soon forget for wasting my and everyone's else free time.
I didn't have to wait long, because as soon as school started back, the local church began sending out Wednesday evening indoctrination teams (always two in number). About three weeks later I had been able to leave the office early and spend some time alone because my wife was working late and I didn't have to fetch my kids at their grandparents until 8. Because I usually work long hours, I almost never had time to putter around the house or play online without someone else being around.
To say I was merely annoyed when two missionaries pulled into my driveway would understate it. After double-checking the car to make sure it carried no business advertising (if there is any difference between churches and businesses), I ran upstairs to put my lesson plan into action. I figured I'd get our address blacklisted by the evangelicals for good this time.
The doorbell rang. I opened the window and yelled through the blinds and screen, "I'll be right down!"
I opened the door...wearing my wife's bathrobe. My hair was wet where I had quickly doused it under the bathroom spigot for good measure. "Yes?"
The older one, about 45, greeted me, "Good evening, Mr...."
"I'm David." I shook his hand.
"Hello David, Gary," and then Gary motioned toward the younger guy, apparently an apprentice, in his mid-20s, "and this is Russ."
I nodded, raised my eyebrows, and smiled blankly as if to ask what they were doing, although I knew full well.
"Russ and I are out visiting your beautiful neighborhood this afternoon and encouraging all of you to pay us a visit on Sunday."
Gary knew this was the point at which he sometimes was ordered from the premises of disinterested backsliders. I decided to remain rather tight-lipped to make it more difficult for him, "Ok."
"Now, Dave, if you don't mind my asking, do you or your family belong to a church in the community?"
I wondered how many times Russ had listened to Gary's opener before, but his face expressed only sincere interest in my anticipated response.
"Not exactly," I replied, "but let me ask you something: Is your church one of those fundamentalist churches?"
Gary and Russ beamed, certain God had anointed them for a special mission this Wednesday afternoon in the suburbs of America. "If by fundamentalist, you mean Bible-believin', then yes it is."
"So you believe every command given by God in the Bible is an instruction to you both?"
Russ nodded without delay. Middle-aged Gary smelled a trick question but soon nodded slowly and replied, "Of course." Although he was about 10 years older than I, I thought Gary was handsome: I liked his white-collar appearance (casual Wednesdays hadn't yet caught on at one church, apparently) and I had no doubt a pillar of his church.
My plan just might work. I smiled, then stepped back into my foyer and opened the door wide, "Y'all come in. Can I get you a drink?" They joined me in the foyer but declined a drink.
I continued without a breath, "I don't want the neighbors to see me in my wife's bath robe. I don't have to tell you how embarrassing that would be." I closed the door and started to un-knot the robe, "Besides my wife will kill me if I crinkle up the satin belt to her favorite robe." I saw their jaws drop.
Gary sensed trouble, "You know, Dave, we just came by to invite you to join our family of believers this Sunday. We really need to be moving along." He looked at the floor rather than at me: my robe, which was now open in front, revealed my bare chest and thighs, and with little effort on the part of an observer, the black hairs of my crotch too.
Russ jangled some coins in his pocket and looked at his watch nervously, "Sorry, David, but like Gary said, we have to get going." Russ backed away, re-opened my front door, and walked out into the late afternoon sun.
When I saw Gary follow Russ towards the door, I sighed, "Oh, I get it: you have a problem with nudity...well, good night and thanks for stopping by." I began to re-fasten the robe.
Gary looked stunned. I don't think he'd ever had a visitation go quite like this. He stuttered, "Well, David, it's just...I mean...we just have to get back...Good night and we hope to see you and your family this weekend."
I couldn't resist my parting shot, "Well I don't think I could join a church that wouldn't welcome the prophet Isaiah."
From the stoop, Gary spun around towards me, "Pardon me?"
"Think about it. Good night." I closed the door behind them and watched them scurry back to their Oldsmobile, no doubt in a rush to get inside and lock the car doors so they could discuss what the hell had just happened. My plan had worked beautifully.