If it's not small talk, is it large talk?

On most occasions, a trip to the barber shop doesn't come with expectations of great conversation. I'd put most of my barber chair conversations in the "small talk" category.
Yesterday was different.

I should state that I wanted a particular barber yesterday and skipped a turn to get him. I wanted him for two reasons. First - he gives a good haircut. Although all of the barbers at the shop do a decent job, there are two that I prefer. One wasn't working yesterday and of the two, the one that was working is my go to choice.
The second reason is that I enjoy talking to him.

He's a young man and not exactly where he imagined he would be in life in his early 30s. Sometimes life happens and it leaves you in a place where people -- church people -- that you grew up knowing and respecting start to judge you rather than comfort and encourage you. I happened to be preaching at the church he grew up in when he was going through some tough times (a few years ago) and so I check up on him once in a while.

I think he's doing okay, but like anyone that has been hurt by the church or abandoned by them, he will continue to have some trust issues when it comes to reconnecting with a local church. I wanted to let him know that he is not alone and encourage him to continue to seek God and his ways rather than to seek men of God and their ways. I shared a little bit of my own struggles with today's churches and the cultural battles they choose to wage.
He paid me a very nice compliment. He said that although he's only heard me preach a couple of times, I came across as a very real person and someone that people can easily relate to; that I'm easy to talk to and don't seem to put on a professional manner.

So I got a good haircut and came away feeling encouraged, too! I hope my young barber found some encouraging words in our conversation, as well.

I should mention that there is something about his words that bother me.
He's not the first person that has told me that I'm easy to talk to about faith and religious matters. With him and with the others, I have to stop and ask myself -- Why does this seem to be so unusual?
Why are people uncomfortable talking about their personal struggles with the very people that are supposed to be able to give them comfort?
Have we (church leaders and church people) become the people that judge and condemn our own and outsiders so quickly that they avoid us?
If we are Ambassadors for Christ, aren't we supposed to ease their burden rather than heaping more upon them?

I want to say that it is unfortunate that I can easily empathize with those that have been judged and come up short of the church's standard. I want to say that I can easily go to any church leader and question the doctrines of man vs the doctrine of God and not worry about being judged for my questions or doubts.

I don't believe that either of those statements is true.
Because the second statement has proven to be false, perhaps it is fortunate that my own experiences allow my to hear with a different heart. Perhaps the curse has become a blessing.

I just don't see what is so difficult about being bearers of the simple message:
God loves you.
Jesus died for you.

John <><