conversation-in-hallwayPhillip A. Bishop, Exercise Physiology
University of Alabama

The past two days I participated in our annual regional conference of the American College of Sports Medicine. I thought that I would be going to a professional meeting to talk only about the rather mundane issues of research and grants. Instead I had four conversations which may have had eternal consequences.

Early in the morning colleague Matt Green and I gave a one-hour tutorial presentation on how to get the most out of graduate school.  Afterwards a young man asked a question about career paths. After giving my opinion, I noted the Christian logo on his T-shirt and asked about it.  This led to a conversation about following Christ and a conclusion about following God’s leadings in our vocations.

This Led To A Conversation

At lunch I chatted with a former student who is now a professor in Canada.  He asked me about a recent short-term mission trip that I had made to Costa Rica.  He was intrigued at the thought of using his training, skills and opportunities to serve God outside North America.  “Would you include me on a future mission trip?” he wanted to know.

After lunch I ran into the professor who had chaired a tutorial on using science to train athletes. I mentioned a coach in the SEC. Somehow in the course of conversation we began to talk about spiritual matters.  We chatted about opportunities to witness to our colleagues and to students.

In the late afternoon I was introduced to an M.D./Ph.D. from Venezuela.  After a few minutes of discussion about professional things, I mentioned that I had been in Maracaibo, Venezuela last May at the University of Zulia.  He asked why I had traveled there, and I said that I went with Faculty Commons.  After that, he must have felt increasingly free to share his own spiritual walk and how seriously he took his Christianity. He had done all of his higher education in the U.S. and  was surprised to hear me talk about how Venezuelan universities are so open to the Gospel.

Not Sure How They Happened

In discussing the conference with my wife,I reflected on these unexpected conversations.  How they had happened, I am not so sure.  I saw a T-shirt, answered a question about a mission trip, asked about a coach, and mentioned a trip to South America. I can see how one of these might have led to a conversation about Christ, but not all four.

Peter tells us that we should be ready “to give a reason for the hope that is within you.” (I Peter 3:15).  I wasn’t exactly ready, but God apparently was.

I really benefitted from those conversations and they make me want more of them.  If I could just figure out how.

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© 2009  Phillip A Bishop       Used by permission of Faculty Commons