Pastor Dude

As luck would have it I received a call from my pastor buddy yesterday.  He's another one of those people with whom I lapse into a familiar cadence after a short period of trying to decide what to talk about.  You know the kind - you haven't seen anyone for a couple of years and when you run into them they say: "So . . . what's been going on?"  He has always been very complementary of Alcoholics Anonymous to the point of mentioning it in the occasional sermon as an example of real non-denominational spirituality.  It makes me proud - and lucky, to the point of literally saving my life - to be part of an organization that allow people of very different personality types with an infinite number of beliefs about everything to coexist relatively peacefully in one very dank church basement.

We talked a little at my urging as to why so many churches were struggling with attendance in The States.  He talked about how the angry, confrontational political climate here is driving a wedge between groups in our faith community and he seemed surprised when I mentioned that it has been more of a problem in our recovery community than I can ever remember experiencing.  I guess my point is that, once again, everybody is eager to make sure that everyone else knows what they think about every fucking  thing and that if what you think isn't the same as what I thinks then there's going to be a problem, a BIG problem.  I'm also so pleased to listen to the similarities when People of Faith discuss the particulars of their belief system.  Again, be nice, love your neighbor as you love yourself, dedicate your life to making the world a kinder, sweeter place, don't be an asshole, etc. etc. etc. are not the sole purview of any particular faith or philosophy.

Pastor Dude is another one of those men with whom I speak only rarely but hold in the dearest esteem.  Such a blessing to have wonderful men and women cycle in and out of my life while still occupying a big place in my heart.  And Pastor found a pen and paper so he could write down ver batim on of my favorite aphorisms: "It is very good for me to be around people who annoy the shit out of me from time to time."