Talking about God: some thoughts
Michele and I spent much of this past weekend visiting my relatives in Ohio. Many of them couldn't make it to the wedding, and we wanted everyone to get a chance to meet Michele (and it was high time that Michele see what she had really gotten into by marrying into the family).
I like my relatives. They're a pretty diverse bunch; most of them have personalities, interests, and quirks that differ drastically from mine, which makes them an interesting bunch with which to hang out. I heard a lot of good stories, caught up with a lot of people with whom I haven't spoken in years--your typical visit to the relatives.
One thing that struck me on this particular visit: my relatives--in particular my grandmother and several of my cousins--witness a lot. That is, they bring up the topic of faith, Christianity, and salvation in conversation on a regular basis--far more frequently than I'm used to hearing in my conversations with friends and family. It's a rare conversation that doesn't turn at some point to a mention of how the topic under discussion reminds them of a Bible verse, or an offhand recollection of time spent handing out religious tracts at local businesses, or of people they know who recently were, or are being, convicted of the need for Christ. My grandmother makes regular references to Bible verses and Jesus in a typical conversation, whether or not the conversation is specifically about any overtly religious topic. My aunt casually mentioned in conversation the opportunity she had at our (Michele's and my) wedding to witness to an agnostic next to whom she was seated at the wedding reception. My cousin matter-of-factly referred to the time she and her sister decided, on a lark, to go around to local businesses handing out religous tracts (incidentally, their witnessing efforts were rudely rebuffed by the 'nice old lady' working at the Hallmark store but received with interest by the owner of a sleazy-looking music shop). They're not boasting about their spirituality, nor are they scary religious zealots--it just seems that their faith is so immediate to them that it spills right over into everyday conversations.
I find myself wishing that my faith cropped up in my everyday conversations more often. My default social setting is to generally avoid specific religious topics for fear of intruding upon others' intellectual "personal space;" everyone's experiences with and relationship to Christianity is different, and I hate the idea of making an unwilling conversant talk about such an intensely private subject as their relationship with God. But on the other hand, several of my relatives manage to talk about faith without making me, oversensitive to such things as I am, uncomfortable, so it's certainly possible to do so.
I think they don't make me uncomfortable with their religious talk because they don't bring up these topics with ulterior motives; they're not trying to ferret out the status of my spiritual life and they're not manipulating the conversation to set me up for an evangelism attempt. While I'm a Christian, so there's technically no need to evangelize me, I have a feeling that they'd relate conversationally to a nonbeliever in much the same non-aggravating way. Their tone communicates to me, "My beliefs are integral to who I am; they can't be separated from my words or deeds." They give no offense, but demand that the listener acknowledge that reality.
It seems to me that their ability to casually discuss religious topics (some of which would make your typical churchgoer nervous) springs from the fact that they are very, very comfortable with their faith. It's not as separated from their everyday lives as religious belief is for many Americans; when you see God's hand in every aspect of your day-to-day life and feel His presence with you in every situation, it must be the most natural thing in the world to have that immediacy reflected in your social relationships with other people.
My grandmother and cousins aren't perfect, of course, and if we were to sit down and start chatting theology, I'm sure we'd disagree on a wide range of issues. Nor do I want to undergo a personality change to become more extroverted. But talking to my relatives makes me wish I were slightly more comfortable discussing my faith with others, even (especially?) with others who don't share that faith. My Christian faith is the most important aspect of my life. Isn't it odd that I'd keep it carefully separated from the second-most-important thing in my life, my social interaction with others?