As remembered by Daniel

The Shirts and the Skins

We were very active in evangelism on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. We would like to think that we learned a few things from our days as “campus screamers” at the University of Kansas. We still did open air preaching, but in a bit more distinguished manner. We called them Brown Bag Lectures. We would put up posters announcing an apologetic topic, location and time, and encourage people to bring a bag lunch and listen. This must have been 1982.

It was a beautiful day on the Quad, with tons of students around. It was my turn to preach on the evidence for God and the Bible from historical prophecy. By this time we have some boom boxes powered by generators, and that made it much more understandable. As we were setting up, before I had said anything, there were some big guys trying to intimidate and stop us.

They got nose to nose with me and made it clear that they would “rearrange” my face if I spoke. They were shirtless, probably to intimidate further with their muscular bodies. But I knew that we had permission to be there, and tried to act normally and as if I was not intimidated. Then, just before the time for me to start speaking, they went over to our speakers and unplugged them! What to do?

Actually, I didn’t need to do anything. At that moment some nice looking guys, who none of us knew, got up, went over to the speakers, plugged them back in, and sat down next to them as guards. Even though I do believe in angels, I can not say for sure that is who they were. But they sure coulda been.

So the Brown Bag Lecture went off on time and without a hitch. I wish I could say that several came to saving faith that day, but I really don’t remember. But I was experiencing His faithfulness to His promise of boldness.

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” 2. Timothy 1:7

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” 1. John 4:18

(If any of you reading this were there and remember more details, just give me a shout and I can add them in.)