The parson was changing the sign in front of the church to announce the “Soup Supper Monday” which was a regular ministry of the church. A soup supper or other was prepared and anyone who was hungry could eat. The folks in the church had become accustomed to seeing the “haves” sitting down to soup and cornbread with the “have nots.” And while they were eating the youth were delivering a meal to the homebound in the community. In fact, more meals were now going out than were being served at the church.
Having completed his task, he was walking back to his study when a car pulled into the parking lot. The driver’s window came down. “Hello, Parson, how’s things.”
“Well, hello, Jeff,” said the parson, “I haven’t seen you for a while.”
“My shift at the mill was changed, so I don’t get to stop by like I used to.”
“I guess the good news is you’ve still got a job, Jeff.”
“That’s true, Parson; that’s true. Look, I saw you putting that Soup Supper thing on the sign and decided to stop. It’s none of my business, Parson. I don’t go to your church. But I was up at the shopping center a week or so ago and I heard some of those people that hang out there talking. They were telling every deadbeat in town about you guys having a free supper. You’re going to get run over by these people if the word keeps spreading.”
“Tell you the truth, Jeff, we’d love to be run over. The more the better.”
“Parson, these folks are on drugs; I’m pretty sure a couple of the women are prostitutes; I mean they are so far gone they go through the dumpsters to find food.”
The parson smiled, “The theory we’re working on, Jeff, is if they eat enough good food here after a while the garbage won’t taste so good.”
Exactly
Posted by: Larry | May 17, 2010 at 09:40 PM