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It is a well-known and
universal truth that, as a little card I carry around reminds, “Life’s too
short not to be Italian.” Nothing against the Swedes and Germans and English
and Irish and all the rest, mind you. But the truth is the truth. Life is
too short not to be Italian. The saving grace is that we all already are. Think about it as I did
at our Vestry Retreat last week. We were seated around the table telling our
faith stories. It reminded me of a family gathering at home, a typical Italian
family gathering – around the table, of course, food on the table whether we
needed it or not, and none of us did. And there was conversation, animated,
personal conversation. No one agreed on everything. Opinions were strong.
Laughter was loud and no one was in a hurry to leave the table. Isn’t that the church?
Isn’t that the Episcopal Church? We’re really not Anglican so much as we are
closet Italians. When we gather, there is always food around. The old saw about
whenever four Episcopalians gather there is always a fifth may once have been
true. The real truth is that whenever four Episcopalians gather there is always
food. And there is fellowship and conversation. There is also a very
vocal Uncle Tony who is always right and has the answer, or at least an opinion,
on every issue. There is over-protective Mom who knows everything goes better
with food and the more food the better. There is Aunt Mary who is always trying
to calm everyone down but whom no one really pays any mind. There is Tom who has
worked for the union all his life and knows how to run the company better than
management. There is Cousin Vinny who is a white-collar type who thinks Tom
doesn’t have a whit of sense about him and tells him so loudly and clearly –
oh, and pass the cookies, please. That is only for starters. There are three
conversations going on at once, everyone engaged in one and trying to keep up
with the other two. There are disagreements all over the place, but no one
leaves the table expect to get more food or drinks or for, well, you know. And
when it is time to go home, no one really wants to and everyone looks forward to
the next time – with more food, more loud arguments (discussions), more
give-and-take, more fellowship and tons of love all around. Again, is not that who we
are as church? When we gather around the table for fellowship or around the
altar to worship, we are more like an Italian family than anything else. It does
not matter how much we disagree with one another on any issue. It does not
matter how different we are in temperament, politics or even religious
conviction. What matters is that we are family and that in coming together as
family with both earthly food and heavenly food to feed and sustain us, we can
weather any storm and resolve any argument; or at least know that there is no
issue more important than family.
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