Some people find meaning in their life through collecting things. Some people find meaning in their lives through Jesus. From 2016-2020 I found meaning in my life by collecting Jesus pamphlets.

Many of these were added to my collection as I changed trains under Barclays Center. Among the chaos of commuters, a preacher wearing a suit and screaming about The Lord would sometimes be there waiting for me with a smile and a pamphlet. The anticipation would quickly build from the second we locked eyes, and as I cut through the traffic to meet him I was either rewarded with a rush of dopamine from having received a new pamphlet, or my anticipation fizzled out into disappointment as I realized I had this one already.

But pamphlets sometimes come from other places: A thoughtful friend, an elderly Caribbean woman screaming gibberish on a subway car, or rummaging through boxes in the basement containing things past-me found amusing. Jesus pamphlets often come into your life in unexpected ways.