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Torkelson: Biblical call finds most days good for witnessing

By Jean Torkelson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published June 18, 2007 at midnight

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To you, Sunday may have been defined by the pleasures of Father's Day and an atmospheric hot plate that glowed well above 90 degrees.

But those were mere technicalities to Dave and Sonja Graalum and 8-year-old Ethan as they stepped up to a stranger's door in Littleton.

"Hey, good morning! Good morning!" boomed Dave Graalum, as the homeowner cautiously appeared.

So began a day in the life of a Jehovah Witness family, known by their belief that they must follow the biblical call to "witness unto all nations" by actively sharing their faith, even door to door.

In the blasting sun, Dave and Ethan were smartly turned out in full suits and ties, while Sonja wore a pretty summer dress and white high heels.

"Just want to leave this with you," Dave Graalum said, offering some reading material as the homeowner opened the door a crack. "These are some examples from Jesus' life - if we did things the way he did, what a wonderful world this would be!"

"Not like today," agreed the homeowner, warming to the wholesome trio.

A moment later he had accepted a Watchtower publication and an invitation to attend a church convention in Pueblo from Aug. 10-12. Then the Graalums moved off with a cheery parting: "Have a great day with your family!"

So it goes, at least 10 hours a month for the Graalums, among 18,000 Coloradans who share a faith with more than 6 million believers worldwide.

In their work they've found warm welcomes, slammed doors and spirited debates. One man invited them in, then yelled so much that Ethan cried.

"We don't force our beliefs on others, and we don't treat people as less than us," says Graalum, an open, welcoming 48-year-old general contractor. He and his wife both grew up in North Dakota and are third-generation Jehovah's Witnesses who met as teenagers at a church wedding reception.

As Jehovah Witnesses, they have learned the art of door-to-door evangelizing since "we were little babies in a stroller," Sonja says with a laugh. They trust God to keep them out of dangerous or weird situations, and they learn not to take rejection personally.

"That's a pretty neat rig you got there," Graalum called out Sunday to a man who was cleaning out his RV in his driveway. "We don't want to interrupt you, but could we drop off some information . . . ?"

"Not interested," the man said, firm but pleasant.

"We appreciate your time and have a good rest of the day with your family," Graalum replied.

Almost any day is good for witnessing because believers don't take time off for personal or cultural celebrations, such as birthdays, or, say, Father's Day. The Bible only permits observing the day Jesus died. And whatever the Bible says goes.

"Anything applicable 2,000 years ago is applicable today," Dave Graalum says.

From childhood, he says, he's never doubted his faith, probably because he's heard so many arguments from other faiths: "I haven't heard anything better than I've been taught," he said.

Of course, there are the unanswerable debating points. Jehovah Witnesses don't believe Jesus is God (which is a core doctrine of Christian orthodoxy).

So that argument boils down to faith because biblical interpretations can be used to support either argument.

Jehovah Witnesses revere Jesus as God's privileged but human son, who will reign with 144,000 selected believers in heaven until Satan is vanquished. The rest of the world's elect will be completely happy on Earth, called Paradise.

That's where the Graalums happily expect to be.

Until then, there's a big, unpredictable world to reach. At one door Sunday, a woman snapped, "What can I do for you?"

Dave Graalum took a breath and mentioned the Bible.

"Oh I have a good Bible," the woman said, breaking into a smile, then lingering to offer a sweet send-off:

" You guys have a wonderful day!"

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Comments

  • January 26, 2008

    1:42 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    DannyHaszard writes:

    Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs:

    A) They are at your door to recruit you for enslavement to their watchtower corporation,they will say that "we are just here to share a message from the Bible" this is deception right off.

    B) The 'message' is their false Gospel that Jesus is ruling in heaven already since 1914.The problem with this is it's not just a cute fairy tale,Jesus warned of the false prophets who would claim "..look he is here in the wilderness,or see here he is at the temple"

    C) Their anti-blood transfusion ban has killed hundreds if not thousands
    D) once they recruit you they will "love bomb" you in cult fashion to also recruit your family & friends or cut them off. There are many more dangers,Jehovah's Witnesses got a bad rap for good and valid reasons.

    99% of the world has rejected the teachings of the Watchtower Jehovah’s Witnesses, the darker truth is they are a destructive and oppressive organization.
    --
    Danny Haszard Jehovah's Witness X 33 years http://www.freeminds.org