I eat at Cora’s on a regular basis, especially during the winter when I am craving some fresh fruit. I always order the same thing: boiled eggs and fruit, hold the bananas and melon. It’s a time and place that I do some reading on ministry or make notes for a sermon series. The servers have always been great at keeping my coffee cup filled and I have had some really interesting conversations with some of them. I wound up doing a baby blessing for one of them a few years ago.

Last week was no different, until I got to the counter to pay. My server, a young woman, who I didn’t know, noticed the lapel cross I was wearing and commented about the different colours in it. I smiled and said, ‘They are the pride colours, I think it’s important that those of us who identify as Christians let people know that we are not all jerks.”

She looked a little startled, but then smiled and said, “That’s really cool, which church do you go to.” Of course, then I had to tell her I was a United Church minister, which led her to say, “I don’t go to church but my Mom has been looking for one, she doesn’t like the one that she was brought up in.” She pulled out a pen and paper and asked, “Where is your church?” I had to tell her it was 35 minutes away, but there was one close by that would be welcoming and open as well; that it has been that church in which I finally responded to God’s call to ministry.  I hope she checks it out.

My Window on God’s World is a little brighter today.