Saturday Night And Sunday Morning

I had quite an interesting experience this past weekend, and it's taken me this long to process it enough to write about it.

On Saturday night, I went to a bar to listen to a band play. As I listened and sang along from my seat, I did what I love to do: people watch. I watched real life unfold. I watched as couples danced {by the way, I was very jealous...I can't dance} and friends celebrated. I also watched as some tension grew. I paid attention to the way the music {along with the combination of alcohol} affected people. Thick emotions were on display. I can only describe it this way: the later the hour, the grittier the emotions.

In complete contrast, a few hours later on Sunday morning, I went to church. As I stood in the choir loft and sang, I looked out among the congregation. I people watched again. {I know...shame on me!} Some seemed to be in full worship mode, hands raised in the air. Some showed no emotion, blank stares on their faces. Overall, I think the mood waivered between contentment and apathy. Yet, the overwhelming feeling was that of pristine. Pretty building...pretty people.

I feel as though I'm failing miserably at describing the polar difference between the people in each setting. Yet, we're all very much the same. We're all searching for a love that never fails; for the fulfillment of dreams; for purpose. And as my friend so eloquently says, We all want to know and to be known. We just have different ways of searching...and different places of looking.

I still can't balance the two scenes in my mind. Why won't the church go into the smoke-filled, alcohol-flowing, emotionally-gritty bars? Why won't the world enter the pristine buildings full of people with painted smiles? I guess it's because there's no connection between the two. There's rarely gritty, real emotion displayed among the church. And there's no need to hide raw, real life behind a smile when in a bar.

I think I know which one Jesus would choose to enter. And I think He'd be the gritty salt the church is supposed to be.