Meet Ari. He’s a typical dude. He’s in his thirties and has worked in construction for a few years, day-in and day-out, in the brick-laying and restoration trade. What differentiates him from his crewmates is his identity in Christ. When he made a career switch from audio engineering to construction, he wasn’t expecting the culture shift to be as notable as it was. "I was surprised at how accurate the stereotype of the construction worker really is," says Ari. "There are rarely any women on the job sites, so no one cares how they talk and no subject is off-limits. Conversations range from how drunk someone got the night before to making crude jokes about each other. And the way they talk about women is pretty extreme," he says. It’s not always easy to refrain from joking with the guys, he admits, but he uses these conversations as opportunities to show a different response, which he does by simply sharing his life, which has been a long way from picture-perfect. "I’m not someone who will joke along with them about how their girlfriend sucks," he says, "Now they seek me out for advice because they know I truly want good for them."

Questions About Sex

Most of the questions are about relationships and sexuality. A lot of the guys are hesitant to get married and are "shocked" to know that Ari’s wife of nine years doesn’t work a job, but stays at home working to raise their three kids. Ari talks openly with the guys about the brutal chapters in his own marriage, and in turn, men have asked Ari about trouble with wives or girlfriends, knowing he’ll probably have a different initial response to a situation than they would. Men have also talked with him about pornography, one of the most discussed topics, and have been surprised to hear Ari affirm that it's sinful, and also, that it's something Ari's struggled with a good part of his life. One foreman spent time questioning the concept of forgiveness and the idea of why people still sin after being forgiven. Sometimes the guys come up to Ari at lunch to ask a small Bible question. Other times, he and another guy are up on a stage on the side of a building for several hours and end up in serious conversation about their lives. "It’s just the two of us, talking, and I get a chance to share examples of how Jesus sustains me in times of trouble, or how he provides," Ari says.

Questions About Dinosaurs

You might think construction workers would try to avoid talking about Jesus, but, as Ari’s found, they come back regularly to ask him questions. "Word has gotten out to job sites that I’m not even working on, that if anyone has a Bible question, to ask me. I got a call recently from someone who wanted to know if dinosaurs are in the Bible," Ari says, laughing. "It’s been encouraging to realize that I know my Bible and can answer things about Jesus to people who are curious, but have spent their lives completely unchurched." Knowing that he has built up a reputation of being "the Christian guy," Ari said it’s that much more important to be on top of his game at work and live up to the reputation people might assume for him. "Show up on time, don’t leave early, keep my mouth shut and learn as much as possible," he says. This work ethic, which he says comes directly out of working to ground his identity in Jesus, has earned him respect from his coworkers and foremen. Ari's first job was alongside a man who was notorious for being difficult to work with. The standard line was that new guys either quit or physically assaulted this guy within the first couple of days of being on a job site with him because he was so combative. But Ari held in there throughout the entire project–close to a month long.  Everyone in the company took note right away. At subsequent jobs, foremen would report back to the owner of the company that Ari was always a hard worker and had a good attitude. He was chosen to compete recently in a national competition for his trade and won first place. Work ethic is a common pitfall for a Christian man in a secular workplace, says Pastor Bill Simmonds of the West Seattle campus. It can be a temptation to slack off, if other coworkers show up late, take long breaks, surf the Internet, etcetera, he explains. "What determines whether or not he takes the bait generally swings on his understanding of who he is," says Pastor Bill. "The Christian man can remind himself that he is different by virtue of the cross." Admittedly, says Pastor Bill, men who respond to temptation in a Christ-like manner and don’t get into trouble generally do not make interesting stories. But often, if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find that many of them had a crossroads in their lives where, had they chosen the easy option, their story probably would be more "interesting" and salacious; instead, they chose the harder path of faith and now have humble testimonies of simply loving their wives and families–when it's hard and when it's easy– working hard and honestly, and pursuing Jesus. But when you’re stuck on the side of a building with someone for eight hours, there’s plenty of time to talk about everything. This article was written by blog team volunteer Abbie J. Michael N. photographed Ari, and Kim M. contributed graphics. All four attend the Downtown campus.