At our B & B in Vancouver I've made the mistake twice now of asking the couples at the table what they do for a living. Not that that is a bad question. But socially it requires them to reciprocate. And then I'm stuck. What is it I do and how do I describe it to those who have no church background (which it was quickly clear these couples did not)? In the past it was awkward when I said pastor, because sometimes they weren't sure what a pastor was or did and other times because it carried negative connotations for them. Now I work for a District in a Denomination. How do you describe that in English, let alone to someone for whom English is not their first language. I oversee the credentialing of our pastors. What does that mean to someone who is unchurched? Too late I realized I should have stayed with questions related to home countries, vacation plans and the weather.
With the first couple I fumbled through descriptions of what I did using analogies. The second time I simply said, "Pastor" thinking that would be easier to explain. Except that the second couple was from Spain and looked blankly at me. I didn't want to say, "Priest" to try to further explain as this would have confused further since I was there on holiday with my wife. I tried, "El pastor" which generated a flicker of recognition, followed by the question, "Like George Foreman?"
I have been in pastoral ministry for 34 years. In all those years as I have been outed on airplanes or around a breakfast table or in other settings I have never once been asked if I was a pastor like George Foreman. But think about it. They couldn't have asked, "Like Eugene Peterson?" "Like John Piper?" "Like Paul Schliep?" Evidently the only pastor they know about is the former heavyweight champion of the world who currently pastors "The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ" in Houston, Texas. Funny, when I think of George Foreman I think of his boxing career and his grills. For this couple from Spain, they thought of his role as pastor. In a way, I'm glad that his role as pastor was as well known to them as his career as a boxer. What do people think of when they think of me?
2 comments:
When I think of you, I think of one of the most muscularly intelligent people I've ever met. I think of the strongest and most compelling argument in favor of of a merciful and decent God I've ever run across. (As opposed to the Old Testament God, that is.) And I've only met you once or twice, through my sister Renee Culbreath, and her husband, Christopher. You've had quite the lasting impact.
The question was meant to be rhetorical, but thanks, Creig, for the kind words. I've always tried to integrate my faith into all aspects of life, including thinking.
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