I was there in civies, my glass of cider to hand and leaning on the bar. I had gone for 2 reasons - firstly to clarify exactly what I had signed up for in the sponsored 3-legged event next week, (need ideas for fancy dress!) and secondly to talk the owner into saving some fancy bottles for me to recycle in the kiln.
Those tasks done I just tried to blend into the surroundings so as not to look like I was only there for that. A conversation began and in the midst of it an expletive rang out. The neighbour of the man who had spoken it nudged him and said something nodding towards me. Immediately he became apologetic for his langauge in front of a 'vicar'.
So what is okay in front of me as a human being is somehow not okay in front of me as a minister/vicar/representative of God. Is this a sign of respect for God, or of thinking that God (and I as representative) aren't upto the full rough and tough of language and life?
Well okay I might be a bit green around the gills but God can take anything and all of it. And in the chatter around that bar did I do more for God's PR than a sunday night when I was technically working - singing hymns and saying nice things in church? I suspect so, but let me sleep on it and recover from the extra drink that the natives treated me too...
No comments:
Post a Comment