I was at a meeting of local Anglican clergy yesterday and got talking to a local minister at the coffee break. I offered to pour him a brew and he said, "Oh I've given up coffee for lent. You'd better make it half a cup."
"Oh right. Shall I make you a tea instead?" I offered, not wanting to lead a brother into sin.
"No, I think it'd be alright to have half a cup. You see yesterday I allowed myself a coffee for the sake of St Patrick. But actually it turned out to be a pretty awful brew, so I'll have half a cup today to make up for it."
"Oh" I said.
"That probably sounds ridiculous to you" he said...
.
I've had many conversations like this in my head. ;o)
How do you finish those conversations? I never did finish mine...
Now that's my kind of lent...
I guess you have to affirm his self-reflection: it does seem ridiculous. Patrick never drank coffee. Whisky maybe, he couldn't have drank coffee as its a latin american thing.
I have given up class A drugs for Lent.
...except on St Winifred's 's day when I mainline heroin through veins in my eyes
What if - and yes, it's not a very good host-like thing to do - but what if you simply refused to give him the coffee?
Would it be considered love if you said you loved him to much to hand him the one thing that breaks his commitment to a fast?
Or is it considered none of our business?
Would Jesus consider it none of our business?
I'm not gunna throw any stones cause I'm much worse, at least he had a go, but was that commedy, a tragedy or just another shortcomming that could be chalked up next to the many? I'm glad clergy are human too and need Jesus just as much as me!
And yeah, I reckon Jesus would have said something.
flyaway - that's exactly right. I just shrugged my shoulders and I suppose on some level my attitude was "Am I my brother's keeper?" It was just an automatic response of mine to offer him what he asked for - after all we'd never met before etc etc. But yes I think I should have exhorted him as a brother. Funny isn't it how nice-ness can really stand in the way of Christlikeness!!
Andy - who is the patron saint of coffee? There must be one. Now there's a saints day I can get excited about.
Gav,
As we all know now, comedy is serious. ;-)
So I'll chalk this up as a comedy we can all learn from. And yes there's a gum tree sticking out of my eyesocket as I write!
NOW THATS FUNNY! :)
"How do you finish those conversations? I never did finish mine…"
It's ongoing - a continuous loop. I just take a break from it every once in a while.
My father-in-law used to give up washing up for Lent.
Religiously, every year.
I tend to ask, "Am I looking for consistency in someone else's life or my own?"
If I'm looking for it in my own it is even more riculous than this experience.
Too true James! And welcome to the blog.