This “Do Unto Others” Bit is Not a Bad Idea

What does a broken-down car have to do with church? I’ll tell you.

My friend, Patty Kogut, invited me to the North Congregational Church in Middleborough, where she was installed as their new minister.

Having been raised Jewish, I’m not familiar with church. Feeling terribly shy, I sat in the last pew. I was embarrassed to be the only one with a gift-wrapped present for Patty in my lap.

A few days later, I was somewhere in Rhode Island when my Ford broke down. It was hot and I had my golden retriever with me.

“My truck just died,” I called to a woman who was quickly going in her front door. “Can you just tell me where I am?”

“Portsmouth,” she said. I called for a tow from the car phone.

My trembling pup had to stay in my truck while it was towed to a Ford place.

At the service desk, I said, “Please help me,” to a guy named Arthur, who had an, “It’s 4 o’clock on Friday. I don’t need this,” attitude (I thought). “I have to get home,” I said. “I have animals there.”

Soon, the mechanic came out. “It started right up,” he said. I explained that I live on Cape Cod and I was sure the truck wouldn’t make it. “Nothing we can do,” he said, and handed me the keys.

I found a water fountain in the hallway and knelt to give my panting pup a drink. Arthur came over and suggested I take the truck back to the dealer. I told him I’d already done that.

There was silence. I could tell he was lost in thought as he bent down and nuzzled his face in the ruff of my dog’s neck. She wiggled, finally comfortable. By now, it was after five.

And that’s when I saw the transformation of Arthur. He slowly stood up and nodded his head, apparently having come to some kind of decision. And in that instant, he was no longer “manager”, but Arthur the caretaker, someone to watch over us, a good Samaritan who, in no way on God’s earth, was going to go home without helping us.

“We’re keeping the truck,” he said.

“You are?”

“That’s right. Until we find out what’s wrong with it. I’m calling Hertz. We’ll pick up the tab.”

I started to thank him. Should I hug him, I wondered? So I did. He was surprised and stiff.

So, what does this have to do with church?

Patty is a young modern gal with very with-it gel styled hair and a body that evidences regular work outs. The women sitting near me were at least thirty years her senior, wearing old fashioned flowered dresses and matching low heeled pumps. They watched with rapture on their faces as she spoke. And what I saw that brought all these people of different ages and lifestyles together was the joy of community that meant a profound covenant to take care of each other. Fortunately, this included inviting me for cake.

In Patty’s sermon titled, “Keep Awake” she said, “We feed the animals in the barn as though they were our own children. We welcome the strangers who stop by and offer the hungry food and the cold a coat. We treat our neighbors and one another with kindness and love.”

And so, as Arthur handed me the rental car keys, I reached to shake his hand.

He tentatively put his arms up, hesitated awkwardly, then swallowed me in a hug.

Something happened to Arthur and me that day. Who would have thought I’d have a religious experience in a truck repair garage?

I learned 2 things:

1. Going out of one’s way to help is an act of wisdom and piety. So as not to miss the opportunity to practice the wisdom of Arthur, we must keep awake.

2. Patty loves gift-wrapped chocolates.