my "Heathen" Sunday

I am currently working at a coffee shop and I really enjoy it. I love coffee (maybe a little too much) and the menial tasks that we do in between serving drinks and making coffee. Plus the scheduling is really relaxed. People trade and cover shifts for each other without any major complications. Normally, I do not work Sunday mornings, but when a despairing co-worker begged me to take the Sunday morning opening shift for her--since no one else was able to--i found no need to make her life any more difficult and gladly accepted it. Granted it was on a Sunday and I do try really hard not to skip church in the morning for work. However, I am secure enough in my faith and my convictions to know that missing church will not cause God to strike me with a bolt of lightning. I also know that going to church with the wrong motivation isn't any different from not going to church at all.

Disclaimer aside, I got to work at 5:30 in the morning and started my day by brewing coffee, setting up chairs and arranging pastries and bagels in the glass bakery display. At around 6:30 (yeah, old people get up early) a gentleman walked in and ordered his usual: a large coffee and a whole wheat bagel, lightly toasted, cream cheese on the side. Old people not only get up early, but they also always get the same thing. Every day.

He was a kind looking man, probably in his mid to late 60's. For privacy purposes and the protection of the innocent, we'll call him "Emil." Emil had a warm smile and glass spectacles that barely clung to the bridge of his slightly bent nose. He was also very funny and exceptionally cheery. As he was pouring his coffee, I was caught off guard when he said: "So I see that you're a heathen too!" I looked at him blankly, with my mouth agape, of all the appropriate responses I could've mattered, I managed with an: "....uh?"

Emil took my response as a "go" signal to continue: "I never go to church on Sunday. It's really out of kindness for the people that do go."

"What do you mean by that, sir?" I asked, curiously.

"Oh you know what they say: Sow your wild oats Saturday night and hope they don't grow Sunday morning! I never go to church. I figured, if I started, then the whole building would come crashing down on account of me!"

"Oh."

At this point my co-worker, chimes in: "Yeah, I don't go to church anymore either. My family is Christian and they're crazy religious and shit. I used to be really religious too, but I stopped going to church. My older brother is the craziest, I think. He, like, gives up...like half his paycheck for...what do you call it, tithe--"

"...Tithing?" I said, a little surprised to learn that my co-worker comes from a church going family.

"Yeah. It's so much money. And he freakin' gets up at 5 in the morning every day to pray. Cuh-RAZY."

Emil shook his head and raised his coffee cup: "To us Heathens!" It became apparent, that what Emil was trying to pass off as sarcasm, was actually an overflow of a bitter and hardened heart.

Before Emil could walk away, I sheepishly replied, "Actually, I never work Sunday morning and I go to church on a weekly basis." I said it in a tone that was less confident than I liked, but not because I was ashamed. I just did not know how to reconcile, in my mind, how to defend my faith without sounding like I was belittling or putting him down. But I also did not want him to think that I was heathen! Do you know what a heathen is???

• a person who does not acknowledge your god
• not acknowledging the God of Christianity

(I know that I should not care about what people think, but I do not ever want anyone to think, or have the assumption that I am not a follower of Jesus Christ.)

Emil shrugged and looked at me, "Oh...well, ok. Um, you have a good morning."

"You too." I smiled, feeling very awkward and wishing I had a more profound reply. But I didn't.

For the next 30 minutes or so, I was sort of in a daze. I was praying and talking to God, fighting the temptation to feel like I failed, or something. I felt like I just missed an opportunity to share the Gospel with someone, who obviously is very bitter against God. Granted, I was at work and customers started walking in through the door as Emil walked back to his corner seat, and I could not just abandon working to tell Emil about Jesus, how would have that have looked to my co-worker or my boss? However, I still wish I had something more significant to say!

You know, it really is a lot easier to sit at an epic conference and hear and learn about God and what He requires of us. It's relatively easy to hear and read about how we need to be disciples of Christ and take up our cross. Applying what that means to life itself, is a completely different situation altogether. I'm praying that I will learn from this and hopefully, be more equipped the next time I see Emil. I'm also praying for my c0-worker (you could pray with me if you'd like). Coming from a strong Christian family and attending a Christian school growing up, she will be held responsible for what she knows. Maybe someday, I can talk to her more in depth about what made her turn away from Christianity.

With all that said, God is good. I thank and praise Him for these opportunities to learn. And may my learning turn into fervent application of the things I know.