Lord... We Need a Pub! (part 2)

I walk through the door and am greeted by the sound of laughter and robust conversation. There is no television on to kidnap the eyes of the crowd and the music is at just the right decibel level: quiet enough to complement any conversation, yet audible enough to inspire a sing-along. Any and all major brewery advertisement posters and memorabilia have long ago been sent to the dumpster because each beer tap handle is enough to let you know you'll be drinking something great tonight. The lighting is warm. Not too bright. Not too dim. And before I even start looking for a seat, the man behind the bar calls to me with a grin on his face and says, "Welcome to the pub. What can I get for you?" By the time I have drink in my hand, the bartender has already introduced me to three of the regulars and has caught me up on the current conversation over what is the best way to handle your finances in this day in age. By the time I gain enough courage to chime in with my own thought, one of them turns to me and says, "Finally, somebody with some sense. BARKEEP! THIS KID'S NEXT ROUND IS ON ME!"

Sound familiar? ... I know. It doesn't sound familiar to me either. This, however, is my hopeful vision of what the pub could and should be. Could you imagine a place that is so informal and welcoming that anyone could walk in and feel comfortable? Could you imagine a gathering place for people so compelling and engaging that one would be hard pressed to leave the establishment the same as when they walked in? How about a culture that loves to celebrate together and tell stories; a culture that winces at the thought of somebody sitting alone?

The reason why the world needs a pub like this is because we need each other. The good Lord made us this way. We need to have shared experience. We need people to sing with and celebrate with. We need to hear new and old ideas on life. We need to buy beers for the people with whom we disagree and clink glasses as friends, not enemies. We need an obvious location for the foreigner and outsider to get connected. Lord... we need a pub!

So if you agree with me and you believe we need this, then why don't we have it? I'd love to hear your thoughts, but my primary belief is that we don't have this pub because it is too difficult. To bring a new person into an already rolling conversation requires patience and kindness. To buy a drink for the man who just told me that my theory on this or that is "total shit," calls for a love that goes beyond the self. To be hospitable enough to consistently allow new and old to come and go is a challenge to our sense of security and comfort. A pub like this demands more than just a great location and a solid beer list. A pub like this would need the key ingredients of a people choosing to live in a radically sacrificial and counter-cultural way and a pub keeper who can set the tone for the whole community. Please read more about one of my favorite pubs in Acts 2: 42-47.

Lord... we need a pub! Not a utopia, but a pub that needs swept and mopped every night and sees good times along with the bad. A place where heaven touches down and reminds us that maybe God is fonder of us than we thought. Wasn't it Ben Franklin who said, "Beer* is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy"? I don't know if Benny Boy has it quite right or if this logic fits into any church's theological doctrine, but a pub and a community like this might be the kind of proof needed for such a glorious and life-giving statement. What do you think?

Cheers mates! 

*Historians now think that Ben Franklin may have been talking about wine and not beer. This is believed to be the original quotation, "Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards, there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine, a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy." My apologies to those offended by my perpetuation of this misquoted text.