Conversation at the gym early this morning was about Rene Girard’s theory of mimetic rivalry, scapegoating, violence and the dynamics of mobs.

Yes, between rack pulls a bunch of muscle head gym bros we’re discussing Girard.

Of particular interest was the idea of the “monstrous double” which was viewed as explaining how similar the ideological polarities in the culture have become.

Just a side note: these guys would never darken the door of a Church and had never had a substantial encounter with a priest until I showed up in the gym. Now they are talking to a priest about Girard between sets and reps.

Some held caricatured views of religion and Christianity. They all listen to Joe Rogan. Most told me they gave up on Christianity because they experienced Christians as mean.

Peripheries are closer to experience than we think and you don’t have to paddle a canoe down the Amazon to discover a mission field. You do have to find common interests and establish relationships once you arrive though.

People outside the ad intra Catholic space will surprise you and often times there is a religious sense and goodness that quite frankly shamed the fully matriculated Christian.

Why am I sharing all this? Partly because true believers tend to rest in an understanding of evangelization that is abstract, rather than concrete. But also because much of the ad intra Catholic conversation is irrelevant to folks who are ad extra.

But also because folks like the guys at the gym need credible witnesses and they ain’t interested in ad intra squabbling or joining the Catholic left or right. They need to meet someone who isn’t “mean”.

And they aren’t going to meet that person unless believers go out to meet them.