Every October there is an outdoor event in Turin called Portici di Carta. It is known as ‘the longest bookshop in the world’ as booksellers’ tables stretch out for about two kilometres! Luigi Gravina, CLC Turin, shares a story about an encounter at the CLC bookstall at this event:
“Our volunteer, Nello, and I had a wonderful conversation with a man called Giuseppe. He was looking at the book If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg, and I assumed he was a believer because he asked if there were other books by the same author. I explained that currently there were only two other titles in Italian, but it was possible we would translate and publish more in the future.
From then on he started to open up, and as both Nello and I talked about the Gospel we noticed how amazed and astonished he was. This was surely not of our own doing but by the glory of God.
Giuseppe was looking for work when we met him. We encouraged him to turn to God, talking directly to him through prayer as a child would talk to his father.
At the end of our conversation he bought the book by Ortberg and also bought a coffee for Nello and me! Our prayer was that Giuseppe would take up our invitation to come to church.”
Since this conversation took place, Giuseppe has attended church several times. We trust he will find a spiritual home where he can grow in faith and learn to ‘walk on water’.