Community Sharing

It was just a typical trip to the grocery store. After filling my cart, I made my way to the checkout counter. As the clerk was scanning the groceries of the customer in front of me, I overheard bits and pieces of their conversation. The customer's daughter has celiac disease, and he was happy to find good bread made without gluten. The clerk mentioned that she had been tested for celiac disease, and was awaiting the results.

When he finished paying, the customer left, and I moved into place. I mentioned to the clerk that I've been concerned about celiac disease, because my son has type-1 diabetes which increases his chances for celiac. The clerk mentioned that she also has type-1 diabetes. We talked some more, and then I mentioned that, as a pastor, there have been times when I've searched for gluten-free bread to use for communion, since there was a time when I had several parishioners who couldn't have gluten. This caught the attention of the shopper behind me, who joined in the conversation ... and the conversation continued as I pushed my cart out the door and into the parking lot.

Anyway, that was yesterday. I wondered how long that conversation went on, as each successive customer carried it along, sharing bits and pieces of their lives, listening to others share bits and pieces of theirs. It seemed that we were all part of one community. If the store were open 24 hours, I wouldn't doubt that the conversation would continue into today, tomorrow, next week; each person in line picking up where the previous person left off.

There seems to be a touch of holiness to it all.