Threads on the newer JW face of public "witnessing" have shared in common the astonishment that JWs safely park themselves behind their literature trolleys and exercise incredibly little contact with passersby. Whether the poster is talking about Europe or the United States or Australia, descriptions here are the same.
Literature stands are protective sheilds behind which JWs huddle, talking to each other, sipping on their espressos, whilst the disinterested world passes by.
Neither the JWs nor the passersby catch each others eyes. If ever there are three or more gathered round a literature stand, you can bet that larger group consists of other JWs coming to keep their brothers and sisters company. Behold! A parade of detached souls, anchored more to each other than to any connection with their immediate environment. Is the "good news of the Kingdom" no longer worthy of actual publishing?
Here in the lower North Island of New Zealand at the Saturday morning Garden and Produce market on the Kapiti Coast, the JWs are even more removed from passersby:
Their tent, which is fronted by a large rectangular desk with two chairs placed at least two metres behind it, is positioned well back from the thoroughfare to the market area. No passersby notice, let alone stop to even look at the literature, while the 2 JW ladies sit back in their chairs, chatting and sipping on their lattes, undisturbed, unconcerned but counting time. Occasionally a flock of similarly dressed souls descend around the tented area, gathering, chuckling, rubbing shoulders...counting time...then vanishing...leaving the two ladies sitting, chatting, ignoring their wider setting and its inhabitants.
Religious people can usually be counted upon to live in a fantasy world...but at least in the past, the JWs made some effort to approach people to share their fantasy about a better tomorrow.
And as I pass by the tent and look in after having observed it from afar, I notice one word in bold white font on the literature stand, "Hope". It takes me all my self-control to stop myself going over to the stand and writing the word "No" above the word "Hope". No Hope. I guess if you have nothing of value to share with people, it just might be a good idea to kick back, sip on an espresso and ignore passersby.
This is what witnessing has come to in 2015.
