Management is a fantastic idea.

When you have a memory.

When people are compliant.

When people respect each others’ boundaries.

When computers work.

Which is why stress is on the increase in managers.

Today I went to the city for a meeting.

I finished and used the last $4.70 change to buy sushi and the clean-your-sinuses-like-never-before green goo in the corner of the container.

I sat down to eat and watch athletic young adults eat and talk and walk and wondered about what pain they have in their hearts and who was lonely and who was lying about not being lonely.

And I read some of my new book – quotes from Oscar Romero, assassinated archbishop from El Salvatore. We watched the movie [“Romero”] at Coffee Cake and Church last night. It was a smack in the mouth. Someone told me I looked emotionally and physically drained after it. And while I’m reading lines about doing good and the gospel and the poor there’s a voice next to me and an artist sits down, asks me to buy his painting and to give him money for food and that he is manic depressive. No money. So we go to Macdonalds and I use the credit card and we sit down to eat and talk and he spits all over his food and mine and he tells me his story and that he is off to a psychiatrist and then a guy comes out of the toilets. They know each other…”He’s schizophrenic you know…he’s an actor…but the psychiatrists are hopeless and they work in with the lawyers…would you buy me some cigarettes and give me some bus money. I talk fast because I’m manic…” So off we go to the ATM and I forget my PIN and after three attempts loose my card. So I dash off to HMV where a friend works. Maybe I can borrow a few dollars, but she isn’t working today. And then my new friend tells me that if I go to Suncorp Metway and show ID I can get money and so I do and give him ten bucks and we embrace in the Queen St mall and he invites me to breakfast some time and I give him my last business card and he gives me his rather amazing painting. But I wasn’t shot by an unknown assassin.

Not like Romero.

It was just one struggling artist with a mental illness who was an inconvenience to everyone else at the sushi bar and he chose me for some reason. And I had to choose him because Jesus is on the side of the poor and maybe I can put a smile on the face of Jesus who is present with this human being who is a whole lot less than whole.

And so am I.

So.Be in the place where you can give grace! Favour. Goodness.Kindness. Love. And receive it. I will never forget his smile when I gave him hope for the next hour with the ten bucks and I will never forget the feeling of welcome when he hugged me, right there in the mall as the masses passed. Who might invade our managed lives if we sit still long enough?

Let grace flow.

PB