I’ve always had a fascination with Russia. As a child, I remember sitting and watching the hockey game in the 1980 Winter Olympic games, USA versus the USSR. The Soviet players appeared so serious and void of emotion. “Why do they look so mean?” I asked my father.

He explained the Cold War to me in age appropriate terms. An “us and them” mentality began to grow in my young mind until my dad said something that broke this chain of thought. “You have to realize it’s not the people we are against, it’s their government. It is a group of people forcing evil ways on their country. We must pray for the people in the USSR, for God to help them.”

Fourteen years later I found myself preparing to live in part of the former Soviet Union. I was headed to southern Russia as a missionary. The Iron Curtain had fallen a few years prior. The world had experienced crazy change practically overnight. I couldn’t believe it - had God heard the prayers of my father and thousands and millions of others?

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This past weekend we went to the fair. There’s always a salt of the earth kind of quality to state fairs. They draw a colorful crowd to say the very least.  My favorite part is the food (actually that’s the only reason I agree to go): fried twinkies, hot scones, grilled corn on the cob, kettle corn, elephant ears, giant turkey legs, and the latest creation, chocolate covered bacon. I didn’t make that last one up.

We walked around taking in the sights, deciding which neon carnival ride would make us feel brave and daring but the least ill, and avoiding a few seedy characters I’m pretty sure I saw on America’s Most Wanted.  Does anyone else wonder how safe rides operated by toothless meth users are?  We toured the livestock barns, got to pet some piglets, and decided that of all the barns, the swine barn smelled the absolute worst.

Recently, I was in a room with a bunch of Christians who had gathered to wrestle with several culturally relevant issues. We were together for several hours, sometimes listening to designated speakers, sometimes participating in a Q & A, and sometimes just talking amongst ourselves.

At one point, a nicely groomed gentleman who looked to be my dad's age offered some comments about one of the issues at hand. But he also made a side comment something to the effect of, "My kids tell me I don't have an 'awkward filter,' meaning that I am oblivious to when I am making someone uncomfortable when I'm witnessing to them. But I can't help it! I'm a fool for God! I'm an idiot for Jesus! I'll go up to people in the mall and share the Lord with them, because I just have to!"

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My good friend Phil Cooke, media maven extraordinaire, alerted me to an amazing video clip made by Penn Gillette of Penn & Teller, the eccentric and talkative half of the popular magic duo.  I encourage you to watch this self-revealing and very touching story told by Gillette about a stranger who gave him a Bible.

What's amazing about this is that Gillette, who is a self-described atheist, speaks with great admiration for the man who gave him the gift (a little New Testament with Psalms).  Upon watching the clip, I was moved on many levels, first for the way Gillette describes the man--as one who was honest, caring, and complimentary.  We Christians tend to get so defensive about our faith and so critical of the culture when talking with or about those who don't share our beliefs.