I had a midday ice cream earlier this week. Yes, that’s worth rambling about, because it’s incredibly rare. It didn’t occur to me, until it occurred to me, that I don’t eat ice cream in the middle of the day, and now I am wondering why! And when I say it’s rare to eat ice cream in the middle of the day, I can’t remember the last time (when I wasn’t on vacation) that I saw an ice cream stand and got some ice cream out of the blue. On days off and weekends, I’ve been known to have a beer with lunch, yet that’s still a rare occurrence. Eating midday ice cream is, for whatever reason, even more rare. 

So what happened this time? Well, another unusual event happened, which set up the opportunity for ice cream. Because of the virus I was fighting last week, I had to reschedule the haircut that is always scheduled for every third Friday morning, my day off. I had to take what was open when I rescheduled, which meant midday, on a weekday. As I sat there in the village getting my hair cut, I looked across the street and it registered that I was looking at my favorite ice cream spot, Moo Cow. I like Moo Cow because they have two good no-sugar-added offerings that they rotate between; they always have either almond amaretto, or a raspberry swirl. Maybe it was some sort of post stomach bug craving, but I thought, “I’m going to get some ice cream after my haircut,” and I did. (It was the almond amaretto this time…)

As I ate the ice cream, it occurred to me that this was not a normal thing. It felt a little like playing hooky, or like I had gone to see a movie in the middle of the day, in the middle of the week. It felt odd, but a good odd. It also makes me wonder who does eat ice cream in the middle of the day? There were people at Moo Cow, and they weren’t all tourists. Is it just me who doesn’t do it? Have I been missing out on something that others have known all along?  Does it feel weird because I was eating ice cream alone? Is ice cream a social food? What else should I be doing that I don’t think about doing?

As I pondered that, I realized that going to church on Sunday, while not equivalent to eating ice cream in the middle of a weekday, might be similar; it is once again becoming something a bit abnormal for the average American. Going to church more Sundays than not, is even more rare. Granted, I’m surrounded by folks who go to church somewhat regularly, I also run into a fair number who don’t. There are a lot of people who simply don’t include going to church as a part of their regular routine. They may not have a prohibition against it, it just doesn’t occur to them to make it a part of their life.

Now, that may be because we serve questionable bread and wine instead of ice cream, but still, there are millions who don’t “get it”, or apparently don’t have a craving for it – at least not a craving they can put a name to. As there is a noticeable rise in the number of people who do not claim a religious affiliation, going to church will become more and more counter-cultural.  In my mind that just signifies another place in life where what goes around comes around. Christianity was founded as a countercultural movement, and stayed that way for a long time, until it wasn’t. We forget that, but being countercultural is a hallmark of following Jesus, though we’d be hard pressed to express that here and now with obvious examples. 

What else is countercultural, that we don’t think about. Maybe there are other things I do that others don’t do? Whenever I’m out to lunch with parishioners we bless the food, often at the invitation of the parishioner. Our family says grace, out loud, when we go to restaurants, yet it occurs to me that I don’t often take notice of others doing the same. I do see it, but not regularly. Are we being countercultural and I didn’t even know it? What about giving money to the beggar? Or visiting nursing homes? Is it strange to tithe? What are the countercultural things we’re called to, and what are the countercultural things we engage in naturally? 

I’d like to think that eating my almond amaretto for no good reason makes me a little bit of a rebel. But I don’t tend to think of my faith as making me a rebel. Yet our Lord was a disruptor, a rebel, a radical, and the epitome of countercultural. I’m going to start looking for the almond amarettos more often, and I just might eat more ice cream along the way, too. 

Tom+

In place of a normal prayer, I’ll post this little internet gem I stumbled across – it fits too well to leave it out!

“Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And liberty and justice for all! Amen!" Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!"

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?" As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer. " 

"Really?" my son asked. 

"Cross my heart," the man replied. Then in a theatrical whisper he added, (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes." Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already."”  Author unknown.