Article October 4, 2004 Issue

DOES GOD LOVE US ONLY WHEN WE GO TO CHURCH?

By Ginny Luedeman

A Good-Sized Man was sandwiched between his wife and me in our three-seat row on a recent flight. He was reading a newspaper, trying diligently to hold his arms close to his body, while awkwardly holding them in the air so that he wouldn't crowd my space. He didn't look comfortable, so I finally assured him that he could use the arm rest, and that I didn't mind if our bodies touched. He seemed to relax, and I noticed a feeling of friendship develop.

"How did you end up in the middle?" I jokingly asked him. "Well," he said, "I didn't go to church last Sunday. But I will be there next Sunday." I was going to make light of his comment, but I could tell that he wasn't joking. He was, on the contrary, very serious. He evidently was convinced that good things might happen when he went to church, but that missing a Sunday would prevent good.

I said something off-the-cuff, like "I'm sure you carry your church within you." With that he smiled and continued reading his paper. But I couldn't concentrate on my own reading anymore. Instead, I found myself revisiting my childhood.