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<\/p>\nTwo men once lived in the same town.<\/p>\n
Man #1 was very religious. He went to church three times a week. He served as a (Deacon, Elder, Church Council member, whatever your tradition calls them). In many respects, he was a very moral person. He followed the rules of his congregation very rigorously and kept his eye on fellow members to ensure that they did also. He even voted for the right political party that supported laws that reflected his religious beliefs.\u00a0He often told people they needed to \u201cget saved\u201d. He avoided people he did not consider good Christians\u00a0or\u00a0people he considered to be\u00a0\u201clost\u201d.<\/p>\n
Man #2 was not religious. He had been active in\u00a0church in\u00a0the past but after some disappointments and some differences with some members and a pastor, he dropped out feeling as if he just didn\u2019t fit in anymore. He felt his value system was different from theirs. After he dropped out his language became what many would call a \u201clittle salty\u201d.\u00a0Several years before\u00a0as an investment,\u00a0he bought an old-fashioned coffee shop, The Coffee Pot. Customers were mostly retired men who came to have a cup of coffee, maybe a donut, but mainly to catch up on all the news and gossip. It never made much money. He was glad if it broke even.\u00a0Later,\u00a0he hired a new manager. He seldom went in the place but the revenues began to climb. When he dropped in one day to see what was going on, he discovered it was a very different place. There were pictures and poems on the walls signed by local people. There must have been 15 different kinds of coffee on the menu and the clientele were very young.\u00a0It was considered a little of an \u201cartsy\u201d store and a lot of lesbians and gays hung out there.\u00a0He enjoyed the\u00a0coffee, the art and the\u00a0atmosphere. \u00a0When he retired he began\u00a0hanging out there himself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
He was a major topic of conversation with all of his former religious organization members. Man #1 dropped by his house one night to talk to him about what it looked like for him to\u00a0own a\u00a0coffee\u00a0shop where \u201cthose kinds of people\u201d hung out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Man #2 made friends with many of the people that came into The\u00a0Coffee\u00a0Pot. They found that he would listen to their problems with genuine interest and compassion. Regardless of what they told him, he never seemed to judge them. He only gave advice when asked. He just listened. For many, he was the one person they could be honest and open with \u2013 knowing that he would not be judgmental.\u00a0 Even though he never talked religion, he often spoke of Jesus. Conversations about Jesus would often draw a crowd that lasted beyond closing.\u00a0 He never lectured or argued.\u00a0 He asked a lot of questions and allowed people to have different ideas.<\/p>\n