Coffee Shop Seminar: Politics & Religion

I was just finishing up the Metro crossword when one of the morning irregulars joined me.  We’ve talked a few times, but I don’t know his name.  He is usually part of the coterie of elderly Italian-speaking gentlemen who gather here.  Apparently no one from that group had arrived as yet, so he joined me.  He is a friendly, sincere person.  And I can understand most of what he’s talking about, if I listen very carefully.

We had an interesting conversation, though it was more of a lecture at times.  I’ll try to summarize his main points.  His ideas were sincere and heart-felt, but they were filtered through heavily accented English.  He meant what he said, and he said what he meant.  He couldn’t do otherwise, because he was a “good Christian” (self-confessed).

It turns out my companion was also an ardent Trump supporter.  Trump is a good businessman, therefore he can fix what’s wrong in the US.  Build a nine-foot wall on the southern border to keep the Palestinians out.

“But the guy lies all the time,” I pointed out.

“One lie! Show me one lie,” indignantly.

I suggested several.  And I was informed that I had been misinformed.  These were not lies at all.  These were attempts by Obama and the FBI to undermine the Trump presidency.  At this point I decided to switch topics.  I get enough of Fox News on TV.

We went on to religion instead.  This was the lecture part; part lecture, part cautionary tale.  My friend expounded on three main themes: (1) proving the existence of God, (2) explaining the Trinity, and (3) the Virgin Mary.

The first one is easy.  Only God could make the universe, there is a universe, therefore there is a God.  The second is a bit more complicated.  God is the father, Jesus is God too, so he’s the Son.  And then there’s the Holy Spirit to help us understand.  How can someone be the father and the son at the same time?  Because he’s God, and God can do anything!  Which brings us to the Virgin Mary.  God protected Mary’s virginity all her life.  She was a virgin when she conceived, she was a virgin while she carried the babe, and she was still a virgin after Christ’s birth.  How could that be?  Because Jesus didn’t come through the birth canal, He just appeared in her arms.  Further proof of the existence of God: who else could make that happen?

I was considering the theological implications of what I had heard, when my friend suddenly looked like someone had smacked him in the back of the head.  He stood up, reached into his pocket, and came out with a set of keys.  He had left his car for servicing in the driveway of the shop down the street, but he forgot to leave the keys.  My friend made a hasty departure.