"Bring Your Jesus To Work" Day

I went on a JVC-sponsored silent retreat this past weekend, in Morristown, NJ. For three days, my fellow JVers and I were free to contemplate, relax, and reflect on our time in JVC thus far, and what the future may hold for each of us. Since I have a pretty good grasp on what the near future looks like for me, I used this time to work on effectively capturing my Baltimore experience through words. With the help of a Spiritual Director, I was enlightened to a different means by which I can speak for this experience on a more personal and hopefully transcendant level. I wrote a lot during the course of the retreat, and the following is an early attempt at writing in this new style. Tell me what you think!

"A story is a way to say something that can’t be said any other way, and it takes every word in the story to say what the meaning is."
~ Flannery O'Connor
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Jesus came to work with me today. I rode my bike; he just floated beside me.

I introduced him to Mr. Moore, and Jesus looked at him differently than he looked at me. From their interaction it seemed that the two were old friends and that this was not the first time Jesus has been to Baltimore. I guess that living in Baltimore as a black man for 57 years, Mr. Moore probably invited Jesus to come to his "work" on more than one occasion. Ralph looked at him as if to say, "Good to see you again. Go easy on this one."

Jesus came to work with me today and pulled up a folding chair next to my computer. He didn't say much as I spent the morning working on a music lesson for the kids later that day; in fact, he was so quiet that at times I forgot he was there. But then an old lady from the neighborhood came in needing help looking for a job, and Jesus jumped right out of his chair and joined the conversation. Again, he seemed to know this woman very well, as if they had been together just last week when she was at the hospital visiting her son who had just suffered a brain aneurysm.

Anyway, the three of us sat around my computer and filled out online job applications. Jesus gave the woman a hug when she left, and with that she said to me, "I'll be back next week."

Jesus came with Mr. Moore and I as we watered the newly-planted flower garden across the street. He was silent as he paced the lot that had once held homes and families- his own children. As he grabbed a watering can and moved methodically about the garden, I swear I heard him address each flower by name, as if somehow, the memory of what had once made that empty lot a home was being re-installed into the earth. When his can was empty, I saw him use his own tears. Funny, I thought, I had assumed they were just flowers. I didn't know they had names. Next time I'll remember that.

Jesus was with me at 2:32PM when the kids came exploding through the door. Most of them had met him, but only once or twice before, so they were still a bit shy. Only a few, like the two adopted girls and the boy whose mother is in prison, felt totally comfortable around him. Still, no matter, Jesus jumped right in and immediately display more love, patience, and authority than I have been trying to muster these past nine months. Must be nice, Jesus.

He threw a football to a four year old and the kid caught. That kid never catches the balls I throw to him! He explained to a group of 4th-grade girls, without a single roll of the eyes or stomp of the foot, that "Even though you're 'just playing,' you should never hit or strike anyone, for any reason." And they all understood and accepted that.

The biggest help of all was when Jesus passed out the snacks so I could have more time to listen to this 1st grader read me his stories. He got through two stories because of that. Thanks, Jesus.

Jesus came to work with me today, and he and Ralph could not stop laughing as I conducted my music lesson. His smile was as wide as the parted sea as I demonstrated how to play a note on the recorder. Not one kid could play it correctly, but for some reason, every noise, buzz, and squeak sounded perfect. And when two seventh-graders asked me if I could teach them to play the guitar, I felt like I was made of gold. At the end of the lesson, I looked to the back of the classroom, and Jesus was still there. He had not once taken his eyes off me, and he was still smiling. This is the best part of my day.

Jesus could tell that I was tired, so he put the wind at my back as I rode my bike home. i didn't want him to go as we said goodbye on my front porch. I had much more to ask, show, and tell him about what I have seen and what I think about it. But I also wanted him to get back to his home, so he could tell his dad about this place, and about what he saw and what he thinks about it. Baltimore needs more people thinking about it. We all need more people thinking about us.

Jesus left me on my porch and floated up Guilford as the sun set. It was nice to have him here; I'll certainly have to invite him out to Phoenix once I get settled there.

Before he left, Jesus said, "Thank you, Scott, for being here when I cannot. I'll tell my Dad to give you more time, because it seems to me you have a lot more work to do."