Conversations with Strangers

Yesterday I picked up a Deaf man from Damascus, Maryland and drove him into Baltimore City. The hour long drive from the man’s house to our final destination was filled with pleasant conversation about marriage and children, Deaf services and American Sign Language skills. He was not a client of the Deaf Shalom Zone except for the fact that we were asked by his Social Worker to provide transportation so that he could get into the city to pick up his four year old Deaf-Blind son from the hospital. We were told that his son was dying and he needed to be with him. I didn’t know this man and didn’t want to pry into his life so I left him at the front doors to the hospital knowing very little about his son’s illness or even his name. While we chatted in the car he seemed distant at first and then slowly began to ask me questions about my life. “How many children do you have?” “Is your finance Deaf?” “I like your driving.” I would like to say that the easy conversation was helpful for him during such a hard time but he might have just wanted to fill the empty space between the seats of two strangers. His name was James and I might not ever see him again but he and his family will be in my prayers. It is easy to feel at times like all we do at the Zone is transport people around and in this case that is literally all I did, but I hope that is was more James and his son. I hope throughout the rest of my ministry that I get the opportunity to transport more strangers, preferably for cheerier reasons, and share with them pleasant conversation. I also hope that I continue to meet different people from all walks of life in any moment in their life. I want to drive strangers to the hospital, the job interview, and the laundry mat, to their homes and to church and I look forward to the Christ that we will share with one another.