Conversion in Springtime: A Nosy Neighbor Spins a Yarn

Two year old Joel and his parents live in the next building over, and can be seen on their sunny southern-exposed balcony from Matilda and Owen's bedroom window. I've seen them from the time they bought, renovated, and moved into the apartment about a year and a half ago.

In the last month or two I see them leave home several evenings and each Sunday dressed in church finery. The first time, I figured it was a funeral or formal party, or whatever. But it has continued regularly since.

Last night, they left with Tatu (our building maintenance man) and Tarja (Tatu's wife), both dressed in their Sunday-best. A light went on in my dusty attic, and I have seen conversion through my windowpanes.

Joel's mother has overcome cancer recently, and once told Melina how Tarja had brought food, and showed concern for her, whereas her friends seemed to back off when the disease was killing her. Conversion by example.

I've heard rumor that Tatu and his wife were Jehovah's Witnesses. Since they frequently dress up and go out in the evening, Tatu in a fancy cowboy hat, briefcase in hand, it seemed likely. They never speak about religion, they are both remarkably kind and generous people. Also, no JW's have knocked on my door, though when I last lived in Helsinki they came about once a month. (The uncharitable theory being they targeted the foreign names on the door list. Since they often spoke English out of the box, there may have been a shred of truth to it.) I wonder if there is a connection. Mormon missionaries have knocked... (Matilda once reported that they don't believe Jesus was the Son of God, but that he was an angel, which I found curious. Do JW's believe that? Or am I assigning them the wrong religion?)

Nevertheless, last night as I watched the group get in a car, a thrill ran through me of connecting human dots. I don't know why, but it makes me feel like I gain some new perspective when I make a convincing explanation of the goings-on of others. It's just nosy of me...

Conversion is such a strange thing. Deciding to make major alterations to your worldview and strike out in a new direction. (And I don't mean switching from a Lutheranism to Methodism, but to engage a whole new dogma and interpretation of meaning and morality. Growing up mormon I saw my fair share of converts, and it's been a hobby of mine to ponder their state of mind.)

Ultimately, (and this seems a good example of it), all religious conversion results from social interaction. People join religions for social reasons, the elaborate spiritual ones come later...