Last week, I was working on my laptop at Starbucks when I overheard two teenagers talking about evil. One was speaking from the Bible. The other was responding from an atheist perspective, he had clearly spent time studying. They weren’t posturing. They were thinking out loud.

I listened for a bit, then finally introduced myself and asked if I could join the conversation. I told them I had been a pastor, that I’ve studied the Bible for about twenty years, earned a BA in Bible, and taught apologetics for a season. They welcomed me without hesitation.

We talked. We asked questions. We pushed back respectfully. No one was trying to win. When the atheist eventually left, he thanked me for taking the conversation seriously. That mattered to me.

I stayed a few more minutes with the Christian, encouraging him. I reminded him that having answers matters, but loving his friend matters just as much. Truth isn’t carried only by arguments, but by patience, kindness, and staying present. Answers can open doors, but love keeps people in the room.

Before we parted, he asked if I would pray.

So we prayed. Out loud. Right there in Starbucks. For wisdom. For truth. For courage. For both of them.

Later, I was reminded of the words from Scripture:
“Always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15, ESV)

That line has stayed with me—not as a command to speak more, but as an invitation to speak well. To listen carefully, to respond humbly, and to treat people as neighbors before arguments.

Walking away, I realized how quiet and simple the moment had been. No stage. No plan. No audience. Just people, honest questions, and a willingness to be present.

This is the kind of faith I want to live. Not loud. Not strategic. Just attentive.

I didn’t go looking for a ministry moment today.
I just stood where love placed me.

Because love is as much a witness as any answer we give.