It’s the money, stupid

Randy is handsome, athletic, witty, smart, shoots in the low 70s at golf, and is basically a nice guy.  We have a lot in common…except the golf part.

Randy doesn’t go to church much.

He used too…he was raised in predominately African American churches…dropped out in college…married an Hispanic girl who is a devoted Catholic.  She goes to Mass, he hits the links.  It’s been that way since they started living together…except for the brief time he got "religion" so they could get married.

Now he’s going to be a dad…so he’s at least thinking about it more.  Honestly, he has no problem with the "God" thing…he just doesn’t like church much.

That’s what he told me right after I answered the "What do you do for a living?" question.

I thought about avoiding it…didn’t want to freak him out too much…but we’d had five holes together and were connecting pretty well…so I thought he could handle it. 

"A pastor", I said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really"

"You don’t look like one"

"I’m on vacation". 

I didn’t tell him that it wasn’t my goal to look like one even when I’m on the clock. 

I could almost see the mental gears kick in as he did a quick verbal inventory of the last 5 holes.  Luke had used the Kings English in some very creative ways…but he could be excused…he’s 86 and became an alter boy in the ’20s…besides, he goes to church every week.  Randy made a comment about me granting absolution for previous indiscretions…I told him not to worry, golf was covered by grace…they both started with a "g".  He seemed relieved.

He told me that he had visited a mega-church in the city a few times…asked me if I knew the pastor.  I said I knew of him but didn’t know him.  Randy hesitated…then asked me what I thought of that church.  I told him I had no opinion…hadn’t been there…didn’t know enough.  Then I asked him what he thought.  He prefaced his remarks by saying that he knew the pastor was closer to God than him, and had done a lot more good in the world than he had…but he just wasn’t comfortable attending.

He said it seemed like a pretty big production…kind of like a well rehearsed show.  And they took too many offerings, he said.  Sometimes two and three a Sunday…(I didn’t ask him how much he had contributed over the 4 or 5 visits he had made…but, if I was a wagering man, I’d bet it wouldn’t add up too the green fees we had contributed during our time of worship that day).  He said the message seemed to always be about God’s desire to prosper his people…and the only evidence of prosperity he saw was on the stage.  He said the event that put him over the top was when the pastor diverted some building funds to buy a much needed airplane for the ministry…or so his cousin who went there said. 

"I don’t think I’ll be going back", was how he ended the story.

Again, Randy apologized…recognizing his own falleness…but said, "You asked, and I’m just being real."

He asked me what I thought.  I said, again I don’t have enough information to form an opinion…I didn’t defend or attack…just listened…trying to learn something from an honest spiritual seeker.

As we finished, he drove by my car as I was throwing the clubs in the trunk.  He rolled down his window and said, "Enjoyed playing with you…keep changing lives…and hey, don’t be buying no airplanes".

Probably not anytime soon…