The Business Man

I walked into his little shop on an unassuming day. There were lots of business people who wouldn’t have wanted the kind of people in their shops that he welcomed with open arms. He would get to know the people who walked in by name, and ask them about their lives. He hosted little events where local artists could show off their work giving teenagers somewhere to go on a weekday evening. He did this all out of the goodness of his heart, because I know there was very little financial gain to be had in a business like his, in a place like that.

Over a number of years he and I got to know one another quite well. He told me once that he went to seminary, hoping to become a pastor and change the world with his words and deeds. Along the way through his seminary training, things started to change. What he once saw as the clear path to making a difference, suddenly became a burden. He still loved his faith, but he was no longer sure about his business. He began to see another way, and instead of starting a church, he started a business.

The community he chose wasn’t the most affluent. The people he serves are not the most deserving. The product he sells isn’t the most well received. But none of that matters. For a decade he has remained faithful to his business, his community and it’s not because he’s in it for the money. He’s there early every morning and has stayed late on more than one long night. All because he loves people. All because he embraces a faith that, for him, has meaning beyond a Sunday morning.