We're sitting around on the grass having just finished our fish and chips and we've just been talking about a man up a tree. Now, although this is supposed to be 'gospel and chips' his name wasn't Zaccheus. He was up a tree opposite, and we had noticed him in the gap between the flats and the houses.
One of the neighbours comes across the road towards us carrying an old plastic bag.
'Do you like cherries?' he says, 'I've just been picking them and I saw you here and though you might like some.'
I would love to say we shared our food in return, but it was already finished. We did share a few minutes of conversation, including answering his questions on what we were doing sitting there.
I feel a certain magic when people come and join in conversation with us like this, but the bringing of a gift had more power. It has made me think about what we are offering the people around us by our existence as Church here. I remember how last year we had blackberries going to waste in the garden and we didn't share the bounty of God's grace in creation. I didn't know that I wanted to eat cherries today, but I have been inspired and lifted by the gracious gift from our neighbour.
Here we are looking for ways to share Church with our community, and I find myself reflecting that it is one of our neighbours showing us the way.
