A few weeks ago I sat with one of my favorite parishioners at his home. We didn't immediately hit off when I first arrived at the church. I didn't get him and he didn't get me. Some people are okay to reside in this tension with no resolution. But for the both of us, I think we wanted to be friends but couldn't find the road to get there.
I would come home from a church event and my wife would ask me how it went. I'd say the church event went great but I don't think so and so likes me and I can't figure it out.
This person had a great relationship with everyone in the community but not with me his pastor. I couldn't figure this out.
Then one day there was a knock on my office door. And it was him. I was nervous and surprised. I invited to come in and sit down. He asked me if I wanted to drink a coke and eat a pack of nabs (at 10am in the morning). The immediate answer was probably not right now... but my real answer was yes lets feast and drink!
At that moment the nabs and coke became our bread and wine blessed by God. We celebrated that we actually are two people that can get along very well. We could actually be friends. We spent a few minutes together and then he went off on his day. I actually didn't think much of that moment. There would be many more knocks on my door. He would often times remark... if those people who didn't like you... would come and do what I did... they would know how real and kind you are...
As we sat together in his living room talking. He told me with a tear running down his face. That day he knocked on my door with nabs and a coke changed him. Not only did that day change him... it changed me.
