I think I love church so much because of all the strange characters that gather there. I sit somewhat to the back and when its time for people to get vocal about the good and the bad that happened during their week I get all excited. I know they are not all there to entertain me cuz it’s church (for goodness sakes) but honestly! People feel so free, right?! And when they feel free they go on and say the darndest things.
In the grocery store or the mall you can see a variety of people but you don’t really know how weird or strange they are until you are sitting in an intimate setting with them. Well… you still know some people are weirdo’s because of what they wear or walk like or belt out unexpectedly (snicker snicker hehehe). And I guess you could call public transportation or a locker room at your local gym intimate. But at church you are all focused on introspect and personal change. I’m saying most people feel a wall of security with their emotions and feelings and at church that wall just kind of melts right off. Like the candy shell on the piece of milk chocolate leaving all their weirdo-ness on display.
I am well aware that I shouldn’t poke fun but people in the raw are hilarious! And precious too… that’s why church is there. But you know, all this makes me think of how the heart is so protective that way. It’s used to being outed and called something that it isn’t when it’s in the public eye. It’s used to being trampled and asked to be something that it isn’t with all the relationships and well, just world that it has to deal with weekly. But there is something that the heart can’t deny when it comes to the intimacy of the church setting. It’s as if the heart, regardless of its own preconceived ideas about Joe Worship to it’s left or Nancy Praise to the right, can just let go and be. Because if everyone’s all gathered in the name of God, it must be OK to well… be the raw weirdo human that we all are, you know, underneath.
