CREEDE HINSHAW: Inexpensive books, free ice cream, friendly conversation … a nice combo

Thousands of inexpensive books for sale and free ice cream thrown into the mix: That’s a winning combination for me every time.

I am a regular patron at the annual Friends of the Library used book sale in Macon. As one of those who hasn’t completely surrendered to the Kindle or eReader, this three-day event is not-to-be-missed. My wife sneers at some of the books I bring home, mostly because of the musty, yellowed pages, but sometimes because of the arcane content, too.

One enters a warehouse-sized room with scores of tables, books sorted according to topics, each table piled high with tomes of every size and topic. Shoulder to shoulder with other hopelessly addicted bibliophiles, I spent close to two hours selecting books, each priced less than a cup of coffee. Customers can be seen carting away books by the boxload. The obituaries written for books seem premature.

My days of purchasing books by the cartload are over, but succumbing to the temptation, I purchased a few volumes that, as always, were essential. I checked out with six volumes for $10.

Leaving the treasure-filled catacomb behind, I blinked to readjust my vision to the sunlight. It was at that moment that a friendly voice invited me to enjoy free ice cream. I had seen the ice cream van on the way into the book sale. Parked near the entrance of the building, it was basically just an ordinary van with the words “free ice cream” painted on the side. In the afterglow of my treasures, I had forgotten it was there.

The man who made the invitation added, “The ice cream isn’t just for children. Everybody can have some.” That was all I needed to hear. The van, with the name of a local church painted alongside ice cream cones, had been modified. Two people inside were peering out of a service window, ready to give away ice cream sandwiches, ice cream bars or popsicles. Near the van a couple of adults were encouraging book lovers to become ice cream lovers.

Books in one hand and ice cream bar in the other, I spent a few minutes in conversation with the donors. They were distributing no tracts, nor were they distributing pamphlets with the church’s address or explanations of how a person needed to be saved. They just gave away ice cream and engaged people in conversation if the recipient wanted to talk.

The methods for spreading the good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ are limited only by the creativity of those wishing to communicate. Some approaches are more winsome than others. I concluded, as I returned to my car, that the treasure of that sunny afternoon was not so much the books I had found in the warehouse but the conversation I had enjoyed with a group of eager, non-threatening, non-aggressive followers of the risen Lord. May their tribe increase.