I met a priest yesterday---a very handsome priest, I might add. So. Very. Handsome.
He told me a story about how at the grocery store he goes to, one of the baggers often asks to help him with his groceries to his car and while they're walking, asks for confession. The hot priest agrees to listen and absolves the man amongst the broccoli and butter. This struck me as so interesting. This gentleman who works at the store saw this (handsome) Episcopalian priest and thought "Hey! I can save a trip to church. I'll tell this fellow my sins! He has a collar!" And the generous (read sexy) priest agrees...repeatedly, offering grocery cart absolutions on the fly, in the middle of a parking lot. Absolved!
Now some might criticize this, accuse the bagger of taking advantage. But I applaud it and the "holy hot priest batman" gladly offers it. He feels if the man wants/needs to confess, who is he to say, "Sorry I'm grocery shopping right now. Your space. My space."
He is in service.
And then I spoke with another priest (Don't worry about why I was with so many priests. Just don't worry about it.) who said on planes, he takes his collar off. Too many people see it and want to talk or voice their opinions about church, God or their cheatin' spouse. He just wants to fly and not engage. I get it. I fly the same way often. I don't want to engage. I take my collar off too.
These are tough times, folx. For those of us awake, every day it seems is a new scandal, a new human right threatened, a new group threatened, a new need in the world. And with so many rights in this world to defend, I believe we all must be in service, to some degree or another--to advocate, help, donate or maybe even just smile at someone. To do something. To be activated.
We can't afford to be asleep at the wheel. Too much is at risk.
But sometimes, sometimes we also need to take the collar off and be like the other priest--incognito.
Sometimes we need to just log off and breathe, take the collar off, being in service to just ourselves. Otherwise, we are no good. To anyone.
Which is it for you today?