Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 73425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73425 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Mira laughs.
“Like ramen and frozen peas?”
I shake my head.
“Not ramen because that stuff is gross and really bad for you. But yes to frozen peas. We would go to 99 cent discount stores where they sell government-issued food and buy up frozen vegetables by the bagful. That stuff is healthy, cheap, and really nutritious too.”
She looks at us with respect in her eyes.
“What else did you do?”
I share a rueful glance with Jordan. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit how poor we were back then, but a woman who holds our fancy isn’t going to judge us on money. She’s going to judge us on other things, such as honestly, loyalty, and devotion. Jordan speaks up then.
“We would unplug appliances when they weren’t in use. We took quick showers and installed those water-saving showerheads. We did our best to only buy sale items at the grocery store. It was a lot of budgeting, obviously. It was very strict living.”
“We even learned how to garden,” I add. “That way we got fresh veggies for cheap. Just the cost of seeds.”
“You grew your own food?” Mira gasps. She looks around the room, and her eyes fall on some potted herbs in the corner of the kitchen. “Are those herbs you grow for cooking?”
Jordan and I both nod.
“I like to think we have quite the green thumb,” my best friend says wryly. “Then again, herbs are pretty easy. I can show you how if you like.”
Mira gasps, nodding.
“Wow, that’s amazing. A lot of the men in my family would never cook. One of my uncles always said stuff like that was woman’s work, and it made me so mad sometimes. I’m not sure if he actually knows how to turn the stove on.”
“Clearly he had outdated ideas,” I comment. I knew a few people like that growing up and always found it so weird how people would say things like that to justify the simple fact that they were lazy.
“Yeah, I guess,” says Mira. “But doesn’t the Bible say something about that? That woman should submit or whatnot?”
I sigh deeply because this is another topic that comes up a lot. When I was a kid, I’d see people who claimed to be deeply religious using the Bible as a way to control women, and that never sat well with me.
“The Bible says a lot of things,” I begin. “Some of them are great because they talk about being a just and honest person; treating everyone with kindness; and living a judgment-free life. But the problem is that even though the Bible is the word of God, it is still being interpreted by men. Men who have their own ambitions and desires. So there are parts of the Good Book that have been twisted in strange ways in order to further their goals.”
Jordan joins in then.
“That’s why we decided it would be better to start our own church. We want people to live their lives without feeling like being their authentic selves is some kind of sin. And no one should ever feel put down by the church because that’s not what the church represents.”
“It must have been a scary time starting your own thing,” Mira comments.
“It was,” I admit. “But it felt like it was our calling. After seminary school, we could have joined a number of Christian orders as ordained men of the cloth. We both actually grew up in denominational churches, him Baptist and me Methodist. But something didn’t feel right when we looked at our options because none of the older orders really aligned with our beliefs. Frankly, they just weren’t tolerant enough. Many don’t accept gay people, those of transgender experience, or those who identify as queer. Basically, any non-traditional lifestyles are looked at as ‘deviant.’”
Mira nods and I see understanding in her eyes. After all, it always made me so angry seeing the church throw judgment at people just because they were different. Not only that, they would actively do things to belittle them in order to make them feel worthless.
But not us. Not the Village Church.
“So, that’s why we founded the Village,” I continue. “Our budget was slim, but our resolve was high. We learned how to run a business essentially, in addition to providing spiritual succor to our congregants. To put it lightly, we had a lot of faith on our side, and by the grace of God, we’re here now.”
Mira nods.
“Wow. That’s really inspiring. You guys are amazing.”
I shake my head.
“No, not really. I don’t like to think of ourselves as doing anything that remarkable. It’s more that we saw something missing from our religious experience and felt the need to fix it. It was our duty as men born with everything to extend the Church’s hand to those who may be struggling and in need.”