Food Courts and Theatres

Yesterday, I spent the latter part of the afternoon schlepping around Providence between a haircut and our night at Trinity Rep.  Haircuts always feel like they take 45 minutes, but really they’re only 20 minutes long.  You sometimes feel relaxed, sometimes sleepy.  You watch people and think catty thoughts.  A little like church.  Afterwards I wandered over to Providence Place to look around.  Sitting in the food court, reading a copy of some commentary on John 14 and slamming down some greasy pizza, I realized that I was in an area not unlike where the early Christians found converts.  If you’ve been to a food court, you’ll see all manners of people, teens, mothers, couples, elderly, etc.  What would happen if four priests sat at various locations of the food court with a little piece of paper on the table that said “Ask me about God.”  If nothing else, it would get people talking. 

I had an hour to kill before Allison met me for the play, so I got to sit outside the Dunk and watch early arrivals to the first Providence Bruins playoff game.  I have no doubt they will go farther than the parent club this year, but again, that’s like saying that Adam Duritz is self-absorbed.  First thing this morning, I went online to check the Journal.  About four clicks later, I found out the Baby Bs won in OT.  Why does the Journal’s “award-winning” website (which must “win” “awards” the way airline magazines win awards) buries the hometown hockey team.  I understand the local fascination with all things Red Sox and Pats, but one thing about online content is that there’s no real space issue.  The hard copy of the paper only has so many inches to give a minor league team for a second-rate sport (others opinions, not mine), but online, there should be big-time coverage.  C’mon, throw a priest a bone.

The play we saw was “Blithe Spirit”.  “Blithe”, I’m pretty sure, is a British word for something.  It sounds like something we would sing in one of our rousing hymns.  All the actors spoke with British accents–not unlike Richard III, the last play we saw at Trinity.  This is not off-putting, but it does take a while to get used to.  Once my ears get accustomed, I usually cannot stop laughing.  That was the case last night; I thoroughly enjoyed the story (does “blithe” mean “whimsical”), the action, the funny clips of lines in dialect.  So walk, no, RUN to get tickets today. 

Ah, blithe means “of a happy or lighthearted disposition”.  It can also mean ‘lacking due thought or consideration’.  Concerning our blithe Episcopal Church here in Rhode Island, if we are to get busy GROWING, we not only need to find out why we exist, but then we need to get out there and sell ourselves.  The food court at the mall is one place.  (It shouldn’t be the place for me though…too much food)  Trinity Rep is another.  Looking at the demographic of the crowds: educated, somewhat affluent, independent thinkers, artsy.  Sounds like a crowd that might feel welcome in most of our churches.  Why aren’t we advertising there?  Why aren’t we a sponsor?  Why aren’t we a presence?