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I entered a hair salon and sat down for a haircut. As is expected, my beautician asked me how I was and what I had been doing since my last visit. Since I have little interest in chatting, I just said that I had been writing. She, wanting to extend the conversation, asked, "What have you been writing about?" As I thought about how to answer, I saw a small cross displayed on her shelf, so I told her that I had been writing on biblical subjects, thinking that would satisfy her. It did not. "Like what?" was her immediate query. Now, my desire was to find a Christ connection and speak in a way that we both would find satisfying. I hesitated for a few moments and then said, "I recently wrote an article about the Ten Commandments." I explained that we usually think of the first Commandment as being about God and the other nine being moral guidelines for man. While this is not wrong, it is only the first step in understanding the deeper meaning. If we accept the idea that God is All-in-all, then all the Commandments must be about God. For instance, the Commandment, "thou shalt not steal" means that everything belongs to God. We cannot claim to possess or take anything because it is God's. In other words, it is saying, "Though shalt not steal from Me. I guided her through all the Commandments in this simple way illustrating how they all expound upon the first, primary Commandment. Her response was immediate, "I can see how that must be so." Since I could feel her receptivity, I continued for several minutes explaining Jesus' Beatitudes as attitudes of prayer.
When I was finished, I became aware that the entire Salon had become silent. Everyone in this usually chatty place had been listening. By then, my hair was cut and I got up and walked to the front door where a man was sitting, waiting his turn. He said, "I was listening to you. I'm a Jew. Tell me, what do you think of Christ? Who was he?" What an invitation! I explained that Christ is the idea of perfect man and that Jesus was the man who showed us what is possible when we do not make mistakes. He was quietly introspective for a minute and then said "I know I can do better" and he shook my hand in gratitude.
What a joy I felt to discover that church
was present in a beauty salon!
George Denninger ©
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