Is 30 minutes enough?

Almost twenty years ago, Harold Kushner opened my eyes to the societal drive away from communion in favor of consumption. He described a Boston fast food restaurant that posted a sign limiting parking to twenty minutes. He went on to lament the loss of what it meant to sit down and break bread with friends and the meaning that came with the invitation to eat together. That sign in front of a business that purported to offer nourishment revealed that, at best, it only offered food.

Twice today I was personally reminded of this same tendency away from personal interaction toward unnecessary distraction. My son and I had spent a few hours with twenty or thirty other men and young men blazing a hiking trail at a local campground. The young women in our community use the facility during week-long outings and the directors wanted to be able to include some mountaineering to their activity options. We did not complete the trail, but we got a very good start as we cleared shrubs, fallen trees, and marked the path for others to follow. During these hours we worked together, we talked, planned, problem solved and more; we communed.

As we were leaving my son said that he was hungry. He had worked diligently and I found it completely appropriate to not make him wait the hour-drive home so once we left the canyon we stopped at a local Taco Time to grab a bite to eat. We went inside to order and the cashier invited us to have a seat in the dining area while they prepared our food. If not for the rich and delightful morning service project I might not have even noticed, but when I sat down I noticed two large televisions, one immediately above us. Instantly I thought of Mr. Kushner and said to my son that I thought it was almost tragic that restaurants felt the need to entertain their guests rather than allow them the opportunity to actually speak with each other.

On the same drive home my wife sent a message asking me to go to an electronics store and purchase an item. As I pulled in to the parking stall the sign greeted me, "30 minute retail parking. Violators will be towed." I still shake my head that a store would want to limit the time their shoppers were in their building. I must add that this parking lot has plenty of space in which to park. They must not want their shoppers to ask questions about their products, compare different options or make multiple purchases. Somehow purchasing has replaced shopping and we shoppers are cattle that they need to bring in and move out.

As I write this, tomorrow is Sunday. Many will partake of the sacrament, or holy communion. I invite any to join with me in making a solemn vow and pledge to more fully commune with all and by so doing enrich our human family immeasurably.