Tonight I was taken on an unexpected adventure. Ben and I showed up to Racys tonight, expecting to get in some reading when we met a man (who I’ll call Clarence) on the doorstep. He asked us for a few coins, but Instead, we offered to get him some coffee. After we had ordered and introduced ourselves, I was ready to give Clarence his coffee-to-go paired with a good-bye. As I was heading my way into my own world of productivity, Clarence asked us if he could sit down and a cup with us. Of course we would.
Our next hour was spent delving into the most diverse conversation I’ve had this year. Clarence shared with us the life of a druid- he had been a self-proclaimed ‘forest dweller’ for the last 20 or so years living in the area. Although a little difficult to understand at the beginning of our conversation, his words became clearer the longer we spoke. He shared about his frustration with society: “it seems that Mother Nature has already flushed the toilet on us.”
We got on the topic of spirituality after I had shared with Clarence that one of the reasons I had come to the coffee shop was to read my bible and write. Clarence told us that he had read through the Bible twice. He did not spare the details that after the fact he had used that bible to ‘smoke a huge bag of weed.’ It was clear that Clarence was an unconventional one.
Clarence told us about how he isolated himself in the forest, becoming comfortable with nature and deer (so well that they did not mind his company). He was enamored with the beauty of nature. He spoke of energy movement and Mother Nature. He spoke of not having any money. He spoke about taking money from college kids. Yet, he also shared about he hoped that no one would ever have to feel the physical hardship that he has experienced from living in the woods.
He also told us about miracles. Walking on water across creeks to deliver dry clothes to friends. Being thrown out of the way of incoming semi-trucks on the highway by invisible forces. Falling neck-deep through ice to be grabbed and yanked to safety by tree-branches. He spoke of God. He spoke of the police stealing his possessions time and time again. He spoke of hope.
Beyond being one of the most interesting conversations, our conversation with Clarence humbled me. He is a Ragamuffin just like me. Clarence is in need of just as much grace as I. Thinking back to Clarence’s stories of his appreciation of nature and the miracles he had experienced, I kept asking God for clarity. I don’t know if Clarence knows God well, or if he knows that God knows him well, but I want him too. I want Clarence’s hope to not be an existential thought…but I want him to clearly know Hope.
After Clarence had left (for a bit), I flipped open The Raggamuffin Gospel. The passage where I had left off met me with a representation of God’s sense of humor as well as provision. Coming to Racys I was ready to get some work done as well as to get some restful time reading. The Lord mixed things up tonight introducing me to Clarence. I’ve been dealing with a lot of anxiety lately. Perhaps tonight all God wanted me to do was to actively listen to stories from Clarence’s wild life over coffee. Here’s what I read:
“Imagine…you are being pursued by a ferociaous tiger. You run as fast as you can but come to the edge of the cliff. Glancing back, you see the tiger about to spring. Fortunately, you also notice a rope hanging over the edge of the cliff. You grab it and scrambled down, out of reach of the tiger. A close escape!
But now you look down. Fire hundred feet below you see jagged rocks. So you look up. You see the tiger, crouched and waiting..and also two hungry mice, already gnawing on the rope. What to do? Nearby, on the face of the cliff, you notice a strawberry. Carefully, you reach out, pluck it, and eat it whole. ‘yum!’ you exclaim. ‘that’s the most delicious strawberry i have ever tasted in my whole life!’
What does this story tell us? Seize the gift of the moment! If you are preoccupied with the rocks below or the tiger above- with your past or your future- you will miss the strawberry that God wants to give you in the present moment.
Don’t allow anxieties or distractions to crowd out the work of the Spirit in your life. Be here now. Then the God who comes will find you in the present- waiting, listening and ready to receive His gifts.”
…and sometimes, that just looks like coffee. Later Ben told me that Clarence reminded him of the parable of Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). For days Lazarus was a beggar who lived outside of the city gates, longing for scraps from the rich man’s table. Yet at the end of his life, it was he who was shown favor, and given eternal life with God instead of the rich man. In Jesus’ parable, the rich man wasn’t so lucky.
I think he’s on to something.
Our next hour was spent delving into the most diverse conversation I’ve had this year. Clarence shared with us the life of a druid- he had been a self-proclaimed ‘forest dweller’ for the last 20 or so years living in the area. Although a little difficult to understand at the beginning of our conversation, his words became clearer the longer we spoke. He shared about his frustration with society: “it seems that Mother Nature has already flushed the toilet on us.”
We got on the topic of spirituality after I had shared with Clarence that one of the reasons I had come to the coffee shop was to read my bible and write. Clarence told us that he had read through the Bible twice. He did not spare the details that after the fact he had used that bible to ‘smoke a huge bag of weed.’ It was clear that Clarence was an unconventional one.
Clarence told us about how he isolated himself in the forest, becoming comfortable with nature and deer (so well that they did not mind his company). He was enamored with the beauty of nature. He spoke of energy movement and Mother Nature. He spoke of not having any money. He spoke about taking money from college kids. Yet, he also shared about he hoped that no one would ever have to feel the physical hardship that he has experienced from living in the woods.
He also told us about miracles. Walking on water across creeks to deliver dry clothes to friends. Being thrown out of the way of incoming semi-trucks on the highway by invisible forces. Falling neck-deep through ice to be grabbed and yanked to safety by tree-branches. He spoke of God. He spoke of the police stealing his possessions time and time again. He spoke of hope.
Beyond being one of the most interesting conversations, our conversation with Clarence humbled me. He is a Ragamuffin just like me. Clarence is in need of just as much grace as I. Thinking back to Clarence’s stories of his appreciation of nature and the miracles he had experienced, I kept asking God for clarity. I don’t know if Clarence knows God well, or if he knows that God knows him well, but I want him too. I want Clarence’s hope to not be an existential thought…but I want him to clearly know Hope.
After Clarence had left (for a bit), I flipped open The Raggamuffin Gospel. The passage where I had left off met me with a representation of God’s sense of humor as well as provision. Coming to Racys I was ready to get some work done as well as to get some restful time reading. The Lord mixed things up tonight introducing me to Clarence. I’ve been dealing with a lot of anxiety lately. Perhaps tonight all God wanted me to do was to actively listen to stories from Clarence’s wild life over coffee. Here’s what I read:
“Imagine…you are being pursued by a ferociaous tiger. You run as fast as you can but come to the edge of the cliff. Glancing back, you see the tiger about to spring. Fortunately, you also notice a rope hanging over the edge of the cliff. You grab it and scrambled down, out of reach of the tiger. A close escape!
But now you look down. Fire hundred feet below you see jagged rocks. So you look up. You see the tiger, crouched and waiting..and also two hungry mice, already gnawing on the rope. What to do? Nearby, on the face of the cliff, you notice a strawberry. Carefully, you reach out, pluck it, and eat it whole. ‘yum!’ you exclaim. ‘that’s the most delicious strawberry i have ever tasted in my whole life!’
What does this story tell us? Seize the gift of the moment! If you are preoccupied with the rocks below or the tiger above- with your past or your future- you will miss the strawberry that God wants to give you in the present moment.
Don’t allow anxieties or distractions to crowd out the work of the Spirit in your life. Be here now. Then the God who comes will find you in the present- waiting, listening and ready to receive His gifts.”
…and sometimes, that just looks like coffee. Later Ben told me that Clarence reminded him of the parable of Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). For days Lazarus was a beggar who lived outside of the city gates, longing for scraps from the rich man’s table. Yet at the end of his life, it was he who was shown favor, and given eternal life with God instead of the rich man. In Jesus’ parable, the rich man wasn’t so lucky.
I think he’s on to something.