Trinity Episcopal Church

October 30, 2010

Fr. Rick’s Reflections

In our gospel story, Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, ran ahead of the crowd, climbed a tree to get a good look at the new prophet Jesus coming through. Jesus spotted him up there clutching a bough and offered him the gift of grace. Jesus saw him, didn’t condemn him, but went to Zacchaeus’ home for a visit. Why? Because Jesus came to this world to seek and save the lost.

Years ago my young daughter Jessica and I were shopping at Kmart. Four-years-old is the age a kid really starts to notice things. She rode in the basket of one of those metal shopping carts facing me, her small legs dangling underneath the handle as I pushed. We got our stuff and went to the checkout line, of course we chose the line with the yakking customer with a fist full of coupons and 20 questions for the cashier about the humidifier she was buying.

A guy pushed his cart behind Jessica and me. He was a huge African American man, dark skinned and muscular, wearing a black leather jacket. Jessica unabashedly looked the guy up and down as any little kid her age would do.

The woman in front of us finally believed the humidifier was purchase worthy, looked back on us who were waiting, and justified herself claiming, “I don’t want to be breathing in any toxic fumes, you know!” and quickly added a carton of Marlboros to her bill. Of course she paid with the checkbook she first had to search for, and then wheeled away.

While all of this happened, Jessica continued staring at this big man behind us. With her eyes fixed upon her subject, she said, “Dad. That man is really, really, really…” and I knew what she was going to say. “Jessica, Jessica” I said, but her eyes were fixed.

I started throwing magazines in front of her---People, Redbook, Cosmopolitan---but she would have none of it; rather, she lifted her finger and pointed at the man. I quickly glanced at the man and sheepishly him my “white men can’t jump” face, but he just stared forward.

Jessica continued, “He’s really, really, really…Black!” It felt like everyone in Kmart heard it---like it went over the PA system. I was embarrassed, speechless. My life flashed before my eyes and my mouth automatically moved to the Lord’s Prayer. Then I thought, I’ve never been beaten up in Kmart before. I expected the “I’m Mike Tyson and I’m going to bite off your ear,” but a wonderful thing happened.

He smiled at us with strong white teeth, bent down, and in a deep voice said to Jessica, “That’s right, Honey, people come in all shapes and colors.” This was a Zacchaeus moment of grace---a moment when someone who didn’t deserve kindness received it.

We left Kmart, and I heard the “black man” say to the cashier, “Ya know, that white guy had a really, really, really red face.”

Trinity Episcopal Church

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October 30, 2010