When the Homily is about Immunology

Disunity and wrestling with an Angel in the Kinkos parking lot.

My wife is in charge of the Parish Newsletter. Usually she passes the responsibility of the print version to a fellow parishoner who then supplies the Narthex with copies on the morning of Divine Litrugy. But sometimes this doesn’t work out and I find myself sitting and waiting patiently inside the Van, parked at the local 24 hour Kinkos.

Early Sunday mornings at Kinkos is really quite interesting because surely the only folks making copies at 8am are obviously doing so for their church. It saddens me a little to think of how we all live in the same community but need to have our Christianity catered to our needs such that we cannot commune together. But this sadness does not last long as I readily jump into that fun and exciting game I call: Name their Denomination!

WHACK went the broad edge of the Angel’s sword against my head, “Don’t do it James!”

“Oh come on!” I protested, “Look at that guy…with the khakis, polo shirt, and Latte pulling up in a gargantuan SUV! Obviously a member of a non-denom Mega Church.”

WHACK!

“Or that guy there with the Star of David necklace!” I pointed, “a messianic Jew…or at least some gentile who wishes he was!”

“James!” WHACK!

“Well check out that guy with the Elect Bush Bumper Sticker, conservative suit and haircut, with Bible underarm…probably a Baptist,” I laughed, “oops wait…a crashing dove tie pin; pentecostal.”

WHACK!

“Ouch,” I protested and then laughed, “Of course we can’t see any of the hip post-mod folks cuz they find Sunday mornings too….modern, I guess.”

WHACK! “And what about her, James?”

My wife stepped outside.

“Okay, okay, I get the point.” I admitted, “Hey, at least my church predates Kinkos!”

WHACK!

“Actually we predate copy machines, too huh?”

The Angel sighed…

“We even predate the printing press! Hell, we predate the Bible!”

WHACK!

Off to Church we go…as do the other patrons – all in different directions. And I have a headache.

The Angel sighed even more heavily than before.