I understand what you are saying, Dondi. The way I see it, there is something very wrong with our society if people have to wait until a random stranger comes to their door with a gospel tract to feel loved.
We need to return to a sense of community and show love and compassion to all that we meet, and then perhaps we would not have folks that are so lonely.
My thought is... we (as a society) shouldn't be so cold, so alienated from each other that there are not naturally occurring times to discuss faith with one another (as opposed to a planned, forced situation like door-knocking). We shouldn't be so busy that we don't greet those around us warmly. Everyone should have an ear that will listen to them and someone to hug them when they are down.
My other thought is... if the value is to show people God's love and to give them a sense of family, of bonding, then religion peddling is not necessary. I could knock on doors and just introduce myself and ask if they need any help, want to talk about anything, just that I live in the neighborhood and am wanting to connect with everyone. Point being... friendship, a sense of worth to others, is what is needed.
That people (in general, not necessarily you, Dondi) want to convert people is the issue for me. For many door-knockers I've met, I can feel they have little concern for my life, my needs, my faith. They just want to have one more tally on their "I brought someone to The One and Only Truth" card. This is what I think is not OK.
The gospel tract wasn't the issue. The issue was that the boy expressed love to the elderly lady and that's what sparked the hope. The tract was only a tool. Nor do I think that tracts are a "Get Out of Hell Free" card. They are meant, IMO, to be an introduction to the idea there is a God who loves them. While there have been instances of folks getting saved via reading a tract, I believe that is rare. Most are saved because someone reached out in love, not just in giving the gospel, but even giving hope in the form of a testimony of what God has done in their lives. Or even in helping them in some way (without trying to convert). I don't believe in forcing a conversion. God needs to speak to that person's heart. We are but the messengers, trying to show God's love the best we can.
The same preacher related another story about four teen girls whom he was able to pick up on the bus route for Sunday School. Now some these girls didn't have the best family or living conditions, not being in an exactly affluent part of town. And one girl out of the bunch hardly ever smiled. So one day on bus visitation, he met up with them and out on a whim decided he'd treat them to lunch, with their parents permission, of course. He'd thought perhaps they'ed settle on McDonalds or something, but, no, they wanted to go to this buffet at $10 a pop. Even though he knew he had only $68 in his checking account, he went ahead and splurged. Then the girls wanted to go to Rita's, which was a specialty shop which featured water ice and frozen custard treats, that was likewise expensive. Oh well, he said. He probably in the end spent upwards of $70-80. After that he invited them over to his house to meet his wife. While they were there, he took him the exercise room and had fun trying see who could run fastest on tread mill. None of them ever been on one. The first two girls to try it got sweeped away off the tread mill. But then the girl who hardly ever smiled got on seemed a natural, being herself somewhat of an athlete, and she ran up to a pretty good speed, ALL THE WHILE SMILING.
Later when the preacher dropped them off, the now smiling girl told him that this was the best day she's had in her life. Can you imagine? Just one day at lunch with a preacher
the best day of her life? The next Sunday, all four got saved. After the service was over, a man approached the preacher whom he recognized as the father of one of the girls. As the preacher reached out to shake his hand, the man slipped a green bill in his hands and thanked the preacher for giving the girls such a wonderful time. It was a $100 bill.
THAT is what I'm talking about. I absolutely agree that we need to go beyond the message and into the meat of our love.
