Pumpkin Pie

     This is a late nite post because I am bothered by a conversation I had with an old (like age wise, not that I've know him a long time) friend at a local cafe.  Well, it was 90% him talking and a few "uh-huh's" from me for about 2 1/2 hrs.  The patience ran thin at the end,but I know this guys heart and it so longs for change in a neighborhood that needs plenty of it.  There was a story he told that come to the heart of what he is and was describing...and it means attitudes not just action.
     Here's a guy who spent many years living in his car, and through a community program he was able to buy a house with low mortgage payments.  With his gratitude and concern for the North End of Winnipeg, he's joined many neighborhood programs and has seen significant change for the better.  He budgets (off pension, he's in his 80's I presume) 10 dollars a week for lunches and finds inexpensive places to find a muffin and coffee in the morning and a hot supper. He goes to two churches on Sunday and finds himself drawn to Christ and the Bible in a way he can't explain.
     One Sunday a couple invited him to their house for supper.  Very happy about that, he asked if he could bring something...they said, how about a pumpkin pie?  and mentioned a local cafe to buy it at.  He agreed and ordered it over the phone.  As he went to pick it up, he pulled out his $10 (remember this is his week's lunch allowance!).  He went to the counter and asked for his pie, it was ready and she rang it up for $20.  Oh!  he said, I guess it costed more then I thought (as he pulled out another $10 for his lunch money for week 2).  He paid for the pie and as he was leaving the lady behind the counter said, can you bring back the pie plate?  We need it make to use again.  He thought, $20 for a pie and they want the pie plate back?  Wow, this is turning out to be an expensive dinner invite!
     They enjoyed the pie, and he politely told them they could keep the extra pie left over but would need to bring back the plate it came with!  Needless to say, he wasn't too excited to go back to their place for another visit, or to buy anything at the cafe he was at.  His vision continues to be that people, especially Christians would learn to listen and understand poverty and hard places and spaces.  Some world views just don't take into account the hard work "the poor" go to to budget, skimp, give and deny themselves just to get by week to week.  Few have the patience to really "listen" and "get it" when concerns like this come up, and find ways to continue relationship and purpose without alot of money or expectations.  A cup of coffee, a small gift of money or even toliet paper or light bulbs....a ride to the store, or a walk to Timmies.  These are thing much needed and appreciated but we learn them when we are listening, invited to share lives and stories....not bringing our own agenda into the mix.
     So I am up late, thinking too hard about these things and the need for true engagement, love, understanding and less judgement and expectations.  So lay down and sleep in peace, there is someone you will meet tomorrow that will reach into your life and ask you to attend to their soul, beware of the revolution it will bring into your world of safe assumptions and our shallow definition of love in action.