The Spirit and the Survey

Yesterday morning I heard a grown man cry. This alone is not particularly significant to me, myself one of the male species also given to occasional tears. This time however, it was loud and troubled in a public place. A homeless man woke up in a corner of our local McDonalds and either remembered all the troubles of the night before or else simply did not like looks of the new day. He cried loud, beat his hands on his head and a  windowsill; it was for anyone to hear! My heart went out to him. Although my circumstances so very different than this man, something in me recognized his deep calling to my deep. I walked over and began massaging his neck and then his shoulders and down his back. He quietened down, received it like a grateful child even with a little smile … and then woke up enough to greet me with the line I am quite familiar with, “Do you have some spare change?” or something of like that, not much diction at all.

I did not stay for further encounter, already aware of two employees coming our way, probably to ‘excuse’ him out the door. I gave them a sympathizing smile – no need to stick my nose into their job protocol - and both smiled back. Each of us seemed to sympathize with the wobegones of this poor guy.

I cannot but relate this to a Christian magazine, latest issue which I read a little later yesterday. [i] Several articles seem quite on topic with the McDonalds morning wakeup. This is a quality publication showing spiritual sensitivity as well as openness to widespread deeper issues obviously included in life within and beyond the Christian faith. It is definitely NOT a boring churchy read! An editorial “Survey says …” by the publisher reports results of a recent reader survey, recognizing a societal trend towards digital. Without lamenting this fact, it goes on to announce some adjustments which will be made in order to continue good communication. Then there is the feature article, “To thine own self be true?” a thoughtful commentary on the type of spirituality which we are now ‘growing’ in our young people. "Instagram, Jesus and the quest for the ‘authentic self’" is the subtitle.[ii] Kyle Penner, pastor of a Mennonite Church, describes “identity in Jesus” as something that requires awareness and relationship with those not part of church culture, “it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Faith in Jesus is more than finding a comfortable spot in the church. The deep sadness of the homeless and the deep sadness among wealthy neighbors is a part of the work of the church and not necessarily addressed in comfortable worship chairs or pews, as Pierre Berton once said many years ago.[iii]

To me this resonates also with a call for ceasefire in Gaza. Church members especially of a peace church cannot be duped by corporate and political powerbrokers. It is especially important for us to let the message be clear. Our calling is to be messengers of peace in this broken world, regardless of institutional or personal risks. That is what was lived by none other than our savior Jesus whom we claim to follow, “Then he said to them all, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9).

Voila, this latest edition provides another volley precisely on topic. Ed Olfert, a retired pastor and longtime prison visitor, writes a regular column, this time about his friend Greg, incarcerated for 30 years and now on parole for the remainder of his days. Olfert describes this character friend speaking in his rough style about an academic Christian topic he just came across in his reading, “I wonder how much time this [fancy writer] has spent feeding hungry folks, visiting in prisons, sitting with people who are sick. Do they just sit at home making up theology, deciding what God wants?” [iv]😏 Olfert, obviously enjoying his weathered friend, says, "I giggled at his indignation." What a fine statement about where we find the guidance and the source for our Christian activities.

Now I’m smiling. I remember similar incidents telling stories (theology) with many friends during my years of long-haul trucking. Profound insights and hilarity often came in the same sentence! I was ready for this little blog piece to be somewhat gloomy, given the sadness at beginning, but it is not. Now I cannot but smile. Fact is, there is encouragement here. Our thinking and our holy assemblies are to help us worship God, and on this date at beginning of January, Epiphany no less, the magi came from the East to do that very thing, worship the newborn King. That newborn is available still as the truth and the life (John 14:6) and we so need to worship him no matter what direction we come from.

If I meet the crying guy again, I will tell him about the jailbird guy. On second thought, perhaps not; if they do not know one another they at least know about each other! 😇 The mystery of this holy faith journey, including sadness and joy, always shows up in those surprising places, just outside the doors of the church.

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[i] Tobi Thiessen, "Survey says...", Canadian Mennonite, Dec 15, 2023, p.2. Apologies! This is a magazine! I erroneously used "newspaper" when I first clicked 'Publish' because of the newsprint it is printed on (environment and economy). Type of paper is one of the reconsiderations after the recent survey.

[ii] Kyle Penner, "To thine own self be true?" Ibid, p.8.

[iii] Pierre Berton, The Comfortable Pew (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1965).

[iv] Ed Olfert, "The gift of Greg", op. cit. p.13.