This Episcopalian Camera Man Walks Into A Bar...

Let me tell you about the place I drink my coffee...

The Human Puzzler is always there. He is the community builder. It was him that began it all.

First there were Julie and Sue. They work here. Julie is almost always on task, but you can distract her by talking about knitting...or dieting. She arranges the flowers on each of the tables and never gets mad.

Sue is a flighty bird. She's a good worker of course, but spends most of the time somewhere between Disney Land and the Outer Reaches of the Galaxy. Her favorite phrase is, "Can you believe it?! Oh my gosh!!"

Then there are the Railway guys. At first it was just Charlie. I think the combination of good coffee, a free newspaper and the Human Puzzler's endless chatter gave Charlie just what he was looking for. Charlie is here every morning too - except when he's in Florida for the winter.

When Charlie's here now, he brings his friend who worked the railroads with him, and together the two of them spend all morning talking about railroads and trains and the people who worked them...it is very serious business, except when they're laughing.

Next there was Dennis - the cutting edge Episcopalian technology guy/camara man/artist incognito who knew what "WiFi" was before I knew how to spell it. He also figured out that the coffee shop had WiFi and was in here using it. The Human Puzzler would NOT leave him alone because the Human Puzzler loves "big boy toys" like...wireless cards and Palm Pilots with wireless capabilities. So, I really didn't like Dennis at first, because he always took the Human Puzzlers' attention off the deep theological point I was making and turned it toward a new AdAware Program or laser scinking or RAM or whatever. Agh!

Now, however, I'm in love with Dennis. I mean, come on! An Episcopalian artist incognito who knows how to set the clock on my VCR?

Will you marry me?

Then came the Recovering Alcoholic. He still is on the outside a bit, never sitting with us, but always saying hello. He sits and reads the paper and drinks his coffee. There is a brokenness and a softness to him - a wound that still runs. He doesn't blame his parents - he's not of my generation. He blames himself. I want to protect him.

Jill and her David are next. A single mom raising her son and working - I don't know what happened to dad. What I do know is that David carries his skateboard with him at all times, and though they park within 25 feet of the door, Dave always travels car to door and back via skateboard. I've seen him fall off on the pavement. They were leaving, going to the car, so Jill had her back to me. I didn't see her face - I just know that he got up laughing and she let out a big laugh too.

She's going to Guatemala in a month on a mission trip - go single mom go!

Dick was next. He taught at a Christian college for ever and ever. In fact, I think he's retired, but still teaching, if you know what I mean. Dick loves to debate and loves to catalog everything you say like "that's some very 60's theology you've got there" or "radical calvinism!" or "you're boardering on Arianism there!" But the best thing about Dick is that he has always had a secret love for trains. And so when he comes - which is almost every morning - he inevitably wanders over to Charlie and his friend and before long is wide eyed and excited...this professor sitting at the feet of the railway hands...I love it.

When I'm old and gray, I want to be that excited about something too.

And then we met Dennis' father-in-law, Don. (Yes, alas, Dennis is already married.) Don was born into the Roman Catholic church, but has since left and become a unitarian. His reasons primarily are based on bad theology - our bad theology. He cannot abide the idea that a good God sends people to hell because they live in a remote jungle and never hear the story of a man who lived 2000 years ago. It isn't fair and it isn't good.

I say he knows God just fine.

He's still got some messed up ideas, but who doesn't? He always gives Dennis and I hugs before he goes - back to the retirement village across the street. Dennis gets one for being the son-in-law. I get one, because I'm the only other one who will hug him. All these other old men slap him on the back and shake his hand. It's probably all the same...

On Thursdays, Mike O, Mike M and the two Daves (they have the same last names too!) join us for a bookclub on CS Lewis' Mere Christianity.

It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke...

A Unitarian, Episcopalian and four Christian Reformed guys walk into a (coffee) bar where they meet a former Baptist, non-denom chick who goes to a Vineyard church...

...and the sky goes dark...

posted by Headless-in-GR @ 5/13/2005 08:56:00 AM