What Happened at SLO Earth Day 2011?

Last year I attended the 2010 San Luis Obispo Earth Day event to pass out tracts and evangelize 1-2-1. Only to find out that speaking of Jesus Christ wasn’t appreciated by some. If you remember, I was pretty much booted from a booth that I was invited into by Jarrod, a Jewish rabbi. The booth was there to promote “religious tolerance.” But when Jarrod began to disagree with the Jesus of the Bible I was presenting, a reverend lady got upset with my being there and ran me off.

My Brother in Christ Jeff Harrison and I attended the 2011 SLO Earth Day event last Saturday. Our intention was to go into the event and pass out as many gospel tracts as we could. Then just before leaving the event, we where going to read aloud, open-air style, from Matthew 26-28, participating in the Project Ezra: Mission Good Friday outreach.

But when we arrived in the parking lot, we found 20-25 people standing on the sidewalk waiting for a shuttle to take them into the Earth Day event. Our plans changed quickly and we decided to remain by the shuttle pick up point and preach open air to the groups of people that would form every 10-15 minutes. We did this for quite some time. We had the privilege of sharing the Law and Gospel to maybe a hundred people. Praise be to GOD! This video gives some indication as to how well we were received by them.

At some point we decided to go ahead up into the festival. It was interesting and sad. The blatant idolatry expressed there was appalling. It grieved me to see it - not to mention the witchcraft.

The summation of the outreach is this. These people desperately need Jesus Christ – just as I still do today. Thirteen years back, I would have been at this festival partaking in all manner of sin. Apart from the grace that I received through faith in Jesus Christ, I too would resist the Gospel and GOD’s people’s pleadings.

I’m always blown away just how irrational a sinner can be though. Lost folk might promote religious tolerance, or even say, “make love not war” or “give peace a chance,” while at the same time, gnash their teeth at you in hatred of the Light that you’re trying to share with them in hopes they’ll be saved. Wow some of these folks are snarky and intolerant of us sharing our faith.

By GOD’s grace, we persevered in the face of their resistance and we pray GOD was glorified and that these people were convicted of sin, or righteousness, and judgment and that they'll see their need for Christ Jesus.

Lord willing, later this week I’ll be uploading the videos from this evangelism effort.