#34. Seeing someone from the church you left

There was an old church you used to go to, but one day your eyes were opened and realized that it was sort of a scam. Every sermon preached was about prosperity and how to make a better you, and how you can be happy and how you can lose 10 pounds in 10 weeks, and how you can look younger...and, you get the idea. It was all about you and about money. No sin, no gospel, just a prayer in the end to accept Jesus as your savior. I suppose a savior from poverty and low-self esteem.

Anyway, you left that place without really saying goodbye. In one of their praise-a-thon, when people started throwing money at the preacher, you just got up and left.

Fast forward six months later. You're finally free from all those lies but you run into one of your old church members. This guy wasn't really your friend, but you were acquainted with him, so he remembers you. The thing is, you never told anyone you left. For all you know, they think you're a heathen who left the faith. How do you handle this?

Fortunately for you, I have come up with some suggestions:

1-Go Jackie Chan on them

Don't know what "Jackie Chan" means? It's pretty simple. Let's say you see this person when you're out buying your groceries. They haven't seen you yet, but if you take a couple of more steps in the same direction you'll be busted. What do you do? You go Jackie Chan on them. If you have to climb up a wall, or dive into a display of cereal boxes, then you must! Sure, you may have to help clean up later, but your old friend Bob won't even know you were there.

2-Jason Bourne-them

If you can't "Go Jackie" on them because they saw you, then you must use the Jason Bourne technique. You walk right pass that person, and if he calls you by name, you turn around and have a blank stare on your face. The more blank the better. Just pretend you have never met them before or that you have amnesia, or that you are a trained government assassin that has amnesia and has never seen them before.

3-Jack Bauer-them

This is the ultimate technique and one that I seldom recommend. If none of the other two steps worked, then you have to go Jack Bauer on them. When they confront you about leaving the church, you grab them by their shirt and start yelling, "Tell me what you know! Tell me what you know!" This will certainly terrify your friend Bob and he'll never invite you back to the old church.

Have you ever been in a situation like this? What techniques have you applied?