We had a visitor on campus last week — of the “street preacher” variety.

He stood at the edge of campus (where it’s legal for him to be), and shouted at students as the passed by, that they were going to hell — for a whole host of reasons.

Have you experienced this where you serve? I imagine some have.

It’s troubling on a number of levels.

Regardless of what truth his message might hold, its unable to be heard through the shouting and lack of love.

His unwillingness to engage in a civil dialog, preferring instead to verbally assault listeners while creating a frenzy of ill-will and anger, speaks to things other than God.

Seeing students respond — from the troubled, to the disrespectful, to the indifferent — leaves little room for damage control in the moment.

And while some students are able to distinguish these “hit and run ‘evangelists'” from us — and what we do on campus, there are plenty of others who don’t.

I have conversations with those students who come in, wondering what can be done about these “spiritual assassins,” and struggling to make sense of some of the stuff they heard him say.

But there’s a much larger percentage of students that don’t come in with questions.

And regardless of what work Mr. “Street Preacher” thinks he’s accomplishing, he seems to distort and damage the faith of most who hear him. In an increasingly post-Christian America — and campus culture — people like this do not help our cause.

So I’m curious,

How do you deal with uninvited guests like this?

How do you “put out fires” in the moment, and in the aftermath?

How do you deal with the reality that a growing percentage of young people (believers and non) lump us in with people like this?

Are you able to trust God with your reputation, and work, in scenarios like this one?