The Ball Dispenser
The Ball Dispenser
The ball dispenser holds 15 gold-painted golf balls. It is both elegant and practical. By holding the balls, it allows the customer to stay in their comfort zone. Some people naturally are suspicious when someone tries to hand them something. With self-service, the customer maintains the initiative on how and when they will respond to the offer to drop a ball.
Faith
Faith
The Faith Detector definition of faith, as this label shows, is "Believing in something without understanding all the facts." Other labels posted on the machine are intended to provoke conversation, and serve as definitions of key concepts. For example, if someone thinks religion is preposterous, I have the definition right there and a whole line of reasoning to apply to that idea.
Is God Real?
Is God Real?
This is the key question, and it's phrased that way for a reason. The emphasis is on the reality of God, not the nature of God. Essentially we are asking, "Is God, whatever "God" may be, actually real?" and a simple yes or no will do. If we ask, "Do you believe in God?", it begets the question, "Well, what is the definition of God?"—bogging us down with trying to define the undefinable. Once they answer, we move on to other questions that reveal their faith in more detail.
The Questions
The Questions
The Faith Detetector is intended to impart a blend of scientific and religious themes. This is evident by the labels stuck in various spots, and the question cards reflect it too. The questions can be switched out on the fly if desired. It makes for somewhat of a game show effect if that seems desirable for a given operator or customer. Typically I start with the "Is God Real" card, then if they answer No, I give them the "Science, do you believe it?" card.
The main thing is to keep asking questions. That keeps the conversation going, because people want to talk. They want to tell their story. Once you start to lecture or answer unasked questions, the conversation is likely to end quickly. People want to be heard, so be the listener. When they finally ask a question, let Christ be the answer.