FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 - SPIRITUAL THOUGHTS (MAYBE)

 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2022 - SPIRITUAL THOUGHTS (MAYBE)

On Fridays, I write about spiritual things.  

But, today I’m going to do a book review - and not even a spiritual book, but a novel that has a good message. 

The book is The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber.

From Amazon books here is a brief synopsis:

“Peter Armstrong and Hank Colfax are best friends, but their lives couldn’t be more different. Peter, the local pastor is dedicated to his community, spending time visiting the flock, attending meetings, and, with the holiday season approaching, preparing for the Christmas service and live nativity. As a bartender, Hank serves a much different customer base at his family-owned tavern, including a handful of lonely regulars and the local biker gang. 

When Peter scoffs that Hank has it easy compared to him, the two decide to switch jobs until Christmas Eve. To their surprise, the responsibilities of a bartender and a pastor are similar, but taking on the other’s work is more difficult than either Peter or Hank expected. As the two begin to see each other in a new light—and each discovers a new love to cherish—their lives are forever changed.

*****

Okay, so what struck you so hard in this fun book, Karen?

*****

Humor frequently comes from incongruencies.  Here we have the small-town pastor (Peter) with a church that needs a new roof.  Peter sometimes has to pass up on his salary because the collection wasn’t very good that week.  He is assisted by his sister - a bitter old maid (although both the sister and Peter are in their late 20s).  They both are single.

Hank is a bartender/bar owner in a neighboring town. Hank also is single and spends every waking moment in the bar - he’s there until closing time (2 a.m.), then in the morning mopping the floors, and cleaning the place until he opens in the afternoon.

The two are old friends from their high school days.   They both played football together, and somehow have continued as friends from those days.

Once a month they get together at Mom’s Cafe - (a local restaurant) for lunch.  They start talking about how stressful their work and lives are.  And, as men bragging to a close friend, it gets to be a debate - “My job is more stressful than yours”.  So, starting the next day, they are going to swap places for the week before Christmas.  (Okay, how incongruent can it be).

Hank goes to the church and has to call on a bitter senior lady who has the money for the new roof.  Hank is told by Pete’s sister (Gracie Ann) NOT to rile the old lady because they need the new roof for the church building.  

Hank finds the old lady is mean and spiteful - and basically can’t hold his tongue and tells her off.  

Meanwhile, Peter is bartending and one of his first lessons is to pour beer from the tap so as to get less foam (head) in the glass.  And, he is slow in his service.  (He has no help because he can’t afford it).  The two old men who sit at the bar day after day berate him but the real trouble comes when a biker gang stops by and he can’t serve them quick enough (and he ends up standing in front of the dartboard as one of the bikers throws darts around him.

Hank has to pick up a donkey from one of the folks (who are leaving town for the holiday) to use in the nativity scene on Christmas Eve.  The donkey is less than cooperative and breaks free from the garage where he is being kept in the middle of the night and he and the town police have to track the animal down.

*****

And you have to throw in some romance as Hank liked Peter’s sister in high school and sees that she is now a bitter sanctimonious old maid, and Peter has his eye on a waitress at Mom’s Cafe -who to make ends meet is also a waitress at the strip club.

*****

But, both the men realize that there is more to life and more to love in their temporary roles.  How dare Peter be interested in a girl who works at a strip joint?  How dare Hank tell Gracie Ann that she is judgmental and acts “holier than thou”.

*****

Karen’s takeaway.  In our religious lives, we get bored.  We sit in the same seats/pews every weekend, we sing the same songs, we say the same prayers, and we lose sight of God’s LOVE (He/She/It/The Force/Ahh).  

Maybe we try to switch things up - but nothing really challenges our faith and our innermost being.  Life becomes routine, we don’t move too far away from who we are.  

These two main characters get out of their comfort zone for a week and are transformed by love.

Can we get out of our routine?  Can we let LOVE transform us?  Can we love the bitter, sanctimonious old maid?  Can we love the bar-maid, and waitress?  Can we love the biker gangs? 

Can we love our neighbor as ourselves?  

We are coming to that season of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year - are we open to change?  Are we open to being TRANSFORMED BY LOVE?

LOVE WINS AND LOVE TRANSFORMS US

Karen Anne White, ©, November 18, 2022