blog first published on February 1, 2017
Two decades have passed since I saw most of them. We were both younger then. I was in college, working at my Dad's tire warehouse during the summer months. They were at the height of their wheeling and dealing careers. Most came to pick up their tires, although we delivered tires to a few of them. As a group, they remain an interesting bunch - like character actors cast in gritty 'real life' roles. They could spin a yarn or a joke or a creative string of profanity with the best of them. Although I was not cut out for a life of working with tires, I enjoyed being in the presence of these 'tire guys.'
Last week, at my Uncle John's funeral, they came out. Since the closing of the family tire business two years ago, none of these people were 'still in business' with my family. They didn't need to come to the funeral home to show their respect. There was no monetary or business benefit to coming out on a busy Thursday night. None of the major tire companies, whose products my family sold over the years, were present. It was "just business" for them, nothing personal. When that business concluded, so did the personal connection. Not so with the old tire guys. They came.
My respect for these, somewhat rough around the edges, men overflows. It was more than 'good to see' them. It brought back memories. What is more, their presence was a precious treasure to my Dad and brother (who carries on the family tire mantle). In showing up, these men bore witness to a fundamental truth about business, about life; relationships are central. For the old tire guys, the relationships forged in the harsh and competitive tire industry of North Jersey meant more than just the bottom line. They were a thread in the daily fabric of life itself. And that is where the rubber meets the road.
As I continue to reflect on the Eucharistic life, this is important. The regular encounters that we have with others, even in business transactions, create a web of relationships. In this web, we live our lives with all their joys and sorrows, ups and downs, triumphs and failures. Where there are relationships, there is a potential to enter into holy mysteries. For God is about relationships. Christian communities are invited to embody God's love in relationships within the church. Christ commands, calls, and cajoles Christians to share in tangible ways with each other the kind of love that Jesus experiences from God. "Going to church" is important because it is our engagement in loving relationships with other believers. Lest we think that this action is exclusive to or reserved for church, Christ invites us beyond the church for participation in a larger web of relationships. These relationships are holy in so far as they embody Jesus' love, grace, respect, trust. They find sacred grounding in the values of Jesus, not in the doctrines of Christianity.
If I were to mention to the 'old tire guys' that they were part of something holy or sacred, they would certainly have a few choice words for me (remember their proclivity for stringing together creative profanity). My Uncle certainly didn't subscribe to inclinations of holy living. Nonetheless, holy living transcends even our characterizations of it.
When life is honored and lived in relationships - even if those who are relationally connected don't acknowledge or agree - there is something that is holy; there is something of God in the living. Eucharistic living comes as we recognize and celebrate the holiness of all life. Eucharistic living is a Christian approach to life that is open to connections both within and beyond the church; God is God of all life, Christian and non-Chrisitian.
Roll on 'old tire guys,' roll on!