That's one hell of a church
Aug. 24th, 2009 04:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pecuniumI got this from The Slacktivist. The comments to this post are almost certainly worth going over to read, but I trust he will forgive me lifting the meat, in toto.
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The Pursuit of Offendedness is hurtful and corrosive, but it's also wasteful in that it leads us away from something better.
For a reminder of what that something better can look like, let me offer a shortened retelling of one of my favorite stories from the storyteller-evangelist Tony Campolo. This is taken from his book Let Me Tell You a Story -- a sort of mixtape greatest-hits collection.
Tony was invited to preach in a church in Hawaii where he winds up sleepless from the time difference, eating breakfast in a greasy spoon in Honolulu in the middle of the night:
As I sat there munching on my doughnut and sipping my coffee at 3:30 in the morning, the door of the diner suddenly swung open and, to my discomfort, in marched eight or nine provocative and boisterous prostitutes.
It was a small place and they sat on either side of me. Their talk was loud and crude. I felt completely out of place and was just about to make my getaway when I overheard the woman sitting beside me say, "Tomorrow's my birthday. I'm going to be 39."
Her friend responded in a nasty tone. "So what do you want from me? A birthday party?"
... When I heard that, I made a decision. I sat and waited until the women had left. Then I called over the fat guy behind the counter and I asked him, "Do they come in here every night?"
"Yeah," he answered.
"The one right next to me, does she come here every night?"
"Yeah," he said. "That's Agnes. Yeah, she comes in here every night. Why do you want to know?"
"Because I heard her say that tomorrow is her birthday," I told him. "What do you think about us throwing a birthday party for her -- right here -- tomorrow night?"
A smile slowly crossed his chubby face and he answered with measured delight. "That's great! I like it! That's a great idea!"
Harry, the guy who ran the diner, and his wife, who did the cooking, took to the idea with gusto, baking a big cake that read "Happy Birthday Agnes" and getting the word out to all their other late-night regulars. Tony came back early the next night with crepe-paper streamers and decorations and a big hand-made sign.
... by 3:15 every prostitute in Honolulu was in that place. ... At 3:30 on the dot, the door of the diner swung open and in came Agnes and her friend ... and when they came in we all screamed, "Happy Birthday!"
... Her mouth fell open. Her legs seemed to buckle a bit. Her friend grabbed her arm to steady her. As she was led to one of the stools along the counter we all sang "Happy Birthday" to her. As we came to the end of our singing, "Happy birthday, dear Agnes, happy birthday to you," her eyes moistened. Then, when the birthday cake with all the candles on it was carried out, she lost it and just openly cried.
Harry gruffly mumbled, "Blow out the candles, Agnes. Come on. Blow out the candles. If you don't blow out the candles, I'm gonna have to blow out the candles." And, after an endless few seconds, he did. Then he handed her a knife and told her, "Cut the cake, Agnes, we all want some cake." ...
Agnes looked down at the cake. Then without taking her eyes off it, she said, "Look, Harry, is it all right with you if I ... is it OK if I keep the cake a little while? I mean is it all right if we don't eat it right away?"
Harry shrugged and answered, "Sure! It's OK. If you want to keep the cake, keep the cake. Take it home if you want to."
"Can I?" she asked. Then looking at me she said, "I live just down the street a couple of doors. I want to take the cake home and show it to my mother, OK? I'll be right back. Honest!"
She got off the stool, picked up the cake and, carrying it like it was the Holy Grail, walked slowly toward the door. As we all stood there motionless, she left.
After the party, Harry is surprised to learn that Tony is a preacher.
"What kind of church do you belong to?"
"I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the morning."
We can either take offense or we can give a party. It has to be one or the other, we can't do both.
I prefer the one with cake.
++++
Me too, or was said by someone else, insofar as you are able: Go thou, and do likewise.
++++
The Pursuit of Offendedness is hurtful and corrosive, but it's also wasteful in that it leads us away from something better.
For a reminder of what that something better can look like, let me offer a shortened retelling of one of my favorite stories from the storyteller-evangelist Tony Campolo. This is taken from his book Let Me Tell You a Story -- a sort of mixtape greatest-hits collection.
Tony was invited to preach in a church in Hawaii where he winds up sleepless from the time difference, eating breakfast in a greasy spoon in Honolulu in the middle of the night:
As I sat there munching on my doughnut and sipping my coffee at 3:30 in the morning, the door of the diner suddenly swung open and, to my discomfort, in marched eight or nine provocative and boisterous prostitutes.
It was a small place and they sat on either side of me. Their talk was loud and crude. I felt completely out of place and was just about to make my getaway when I overheard the woman sitting beside me say, "Tomorrow's my birthday. I'm going to be 39."
Her friend responded in a nasty tone. "So what do you want from me? A birthday party?"
... When I heard that, I made a decision. I sat and waited until the women had left. Then I called over the fat guy behind the counter and I asked him, "Do they come in here every night?"
"Yeah," he answered.
"The one right next to me, does she come here every night?"
"Yeah," he said. "That's Agnes. Yeah, she comes in here every night. Why do you want to know?"
"Because I heard her say that tomorrow is her birthday," I told him. "What do you think about us throwing a birthday party for her -- right here -- tomorrow night?"
A smile slowly crossed his chubby face and he answered with measured delight. "That's great! I like it! That's a great idea!"
Harry, the guy who ran the diner, and his wife, who did the cooking, took to the idea with gusto, baking a big cake that read "Happy Birthday Agnes" and getting the word out to all their other late-night regulars. Tony came back early the next night with crepe-paper streamers and decorations and a big hand-made sign.
... by 3:15 every prostitute in Honolulu was in that place. ... At 3:30 on the dot, the door of the diner swung open and in came Agnes and her friend ... and when they came in we all screamed, "Happy Birthday!"
... Her mouth fell open. Her legs seemed to buckle a bit. Her friend grabbed her arm to steady her. As she was led to one of the stools along the counter we all sang "Happy Birthday" to her. As we came to the end of our singing, "Happy birthday, dear Agnes, happy birthday to you," her eyes moistened. Then, when the birthday cake with all the candles on it was carried out, she lost it and just openly cried.
Harry gruffly mumbled, "Blow out the candles, Agnes. Come on. Blow out the candles. If you don't blow out the candles, I'm gonna have to blow out the candles." And, after an endless few seconds, he did. Then he handed her a knife and told her, "Cut the cake, Agnes, we all want some cake." ...
Agnes looked down at the cake. Then without taking her eyes off it, she said, "Look, Harry, is it all right with you if I ... is it OK if I keep the cake a little while? I mean is it all right if we don't eat it right away?"
Harry shrugged and answered, "Sure! It's OK. If you want to keep the cake, keep the cake. Take it home if you want to."
"Can I?" she asked. Then looking at me she said, "I live just down the street a couple of doors. I want to take the cake home and show it to my mother, OK? I'll be right back. Honest!"
She got off the stool, picked up the cake and, carrying it like it was the Holy Grail, walked slowly toward the door. As we all stood there motionless, she left.
After the party, Harry is surprised to learn that Tony is a preacher.
"What kind of church do you belong to?"
"I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the morning."
We can either take offense or we can give a party. It has to be one or the other, we can't do both.
I prefer the one with cake.
++++
Me too, or was said by someone else, insofar as you are able: Go thou, and do likewise.
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chipuni, yes
Date: 2009-08-25 02:01 am (UTC)I'm a witch, but charity is a given. Giving people slack as well as charity, and not judging, is also a part of my beliefs.
Terry, this story made me happy. Thanks for sharing.