There's this great cable TV show called "American Pickers" in which two men travel around America, looking for rusty gas signs, old lunch boxes and everything in between.
Sometimes the people know "pickers" Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz are coming, and sometimes the pair "freestyle," just driving up and down backroads, looking for a place that holds promise. If the yard has been mowed recently; if the house is in good repair; if there are no piles of junk lying around, they aren't interested. They really look for treasure in what most of us would consider trash.
As you might imagine, a lot of the people that Wolfe and Fritz meet are rather eccentric in their behavior. Many are sort of social misfits. They would rather spend time surrounded by rusty moped frames than their neighbors. A few are even hostile.
But many of these people hiding behind "No Trespassing" and "Keep Out" signs are really kind and gentle souls. Most likely they are just misunderstood by the "normal" world around them. By putting up the signs they avoid uncomfortable confrontations with people who fail to see the world in the same skewed way they do.
That's where the Wolfe and Fritz excel. They are generally well-adjusted, if a little crude, but they know how to communicate with those who would most often rather be left alone. They brag on the person's stuff; they discuss their mutual appreciation for what others consider junk.
They add worth and value, not only to their collections, but to the people themselves and, in doing so, the potential hermits share their life stories with the two pickers. With cameras rolling, owners tell how they collected movie posters with their spouse who has just passed away or how they rode a particular motorcycle after returning from the war. We get a glimpse into lives that normally never see the light of day.
Wolfe and Fritz could teach those of us who love and follow Christ a lot about how to communicate with our fellow man.
Too often we as believers tend to avoid people that aren't like us. We enjoy our holy huddle on Sunday. We don't like to be uncomfortable by "entertaining strangers unaware." The "Keep Out" signs people hang on the exterior of their lives give us reason enough not to invade that person's space with our faith.
What we fail to realize is that often behind those menacing signs are kind and gentle people who are afraid you will judge them for the way they view life. Maybe great hurt or tragedy has made them feel uncomfortable around people like us who seem to have it all together. If only they knew.
If we are willing to approach them, they may just be waiting for someone to assign value to their life. What I have found is that many are actually people of faith. Often their faith runs much deeper than my own. I have even found a few who have a wealth of wisdom learned through years of solitude.
Others, though, are desperately lost. They believe no one cares. Some have been deeply hurt by religion or religious people. They need to meet someone who has real faith and not just a judgmental index finger locked and loaded and pointing at them.
I encourage you to travel some backroads yourself. Maybe it's time we did some "freestyling" when it comes to meeting people. We may just find some treasure in piles of trash. I know that's where God found me.
Ken Duggan has been the pastor of Dallas Bay Baptist Church since 1990. A native of Soddy-Daisy, he and his wife, Marilyn, have two sons.
Voices of Faith is a weekly column written by area religious and spiritual leaders; if you would like to be part of it, contact Features Editor Shawn Ryan at sryan@timesfreepress.com.