I've Got a Dead Feeling in the Back of My Head

At our Free Store conversation on Friday morning we talked about Jesus' parable in Luke 14.16-24 "A Man Gave a Banquet."  The gist of the story is that a man throws a big party and invites all his well to do neighbors.  They all accept the invitation initially but when the day of the feast arrives they all give excuses about why they can't attend.  The guy is so offended and angry that he sends his servant out to find anybody on the streets and ends up feasting with the outcasts of society.

We started the conversation by talking about the expense and effort involved in throwing a big party for a lot of people.  Our new friend Terry said it was worth it because it was great to "get together" and "fellowship" with other people.  She said she had  never thrown a really big party but that she had attended a few.  Someone said that parties are social events that give us the opportunity to connect with people as friends and just for fun.

As the conversation continued we talked a bit about the excuses given by the guests that didn't attend the feast.  We laughed when someone said, "One of the excuses was that the guy wanted to go look at his field rather than attend the party.  Really?"  George said, "Sounds a bit like the excuses people give for not goin to church."  He also said that the college kids he attends CPCC with often use the excuse of "traffic" when they are late for class.  Rick said that the best excuse he ever heard was an employee who called in sick and told him, "I've got a dead feeling in the back of my head" which made us laugh.

Our friend David told us, "Me and my mom spent $400 in 2006 on a party for my fiance, who was carryin my baby, and her friends.  Her friends were more respectful than she was.  When the party was over she left with her friends and told me 'I have to go with my friends.'  It was really disrespectful.  What made it worse is my mom said, 'I told you so'" which made us laugh.  We talked about how people disrespect each other all the time.  Someone said that when you invite someone to a party and they don't come "that means they don't like you."  Rick said he thought the man in the story must have felt "alienated."  George said, "It hurts when you help people and then they don't like you."  We also talked a bit about how when we are hurt and humiliated and disrespected that we can get angry.  Anger is a powerful feeling that actually keeps us from dealing with the underlying hurt that we feel when rejected by others.

At this point we talked a bit about the things that get in the way of the important things in life like relationships with family and friends and the cultivation of a deeper spiritual and soulful life.  David said that his mom passed away two years ago and that he wished he had that time over because he would have even spent more time with her.  He also said that he wanted to attend church events last week but he was called in to work.  David said the "spiritual man" in him wanted to say "Keep your money" but "What could I do?"  Someone said that "it can be hard to find balance in our lives but it is possible."

As the conversation moved to its conclusion we talked about how although the man in the story was slighted and rejected by his neighbors that he opened himself up to others in a surprising way.  We laughed when someone said, "If you open yourself up to others and don't exclude people you might find new friends in unlikely places even under the Caldwell Street Bridge" which made us laugh.  Donald said, "This story reminded me of that cookout we had at the free store when everybody came.  And George grilled the hot dogs."