History or mystery

"From my Shelf" is the name of the used book store in Wellsboro, PA, where we're visiting family. J and I wandered into the store, and I deliberately browsed away from the Religion/Theology section. We're on vacation, and even though we've engaged in multiple daily conversations about church, I was making an attempt to think about Something Else.

A woman passed by with a tall stack of books. She paused and asked the person behind the desk, "Do I shelve this under History, or Mystery?

I became momentarily obsessed with finding out which book she had in her hand. I didn't want to ask, because who the heck was I to be listening to her conversation? So instead, I followed her around for a moment or two, oh so discreetly. I figured that whatever book this was, it must have to do with church. When I figured out the reason for my interest, I decided to abandon the effort. Vacation, vacation, vacation...right?

In the end, though, I don't ever really let go of church. I miss it when I'm away, and although it's great to let go of responsibilities for a few weeks, passion for the work remains alive no matter where we are geographically. What would it mean if we never gave church a thought during this time? I don't suppose we'll ever know the answer.