{"id":6654,"date":"2013-10-03T05:00:38","date_gmt":"2013-10-03T12:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/michaboyett\/?p=6654"},"modified":"2013-10-02T20:38:48","modified_gmt":"2013-10-03T03:38:48","slug":"thomas-a-modern-day-desert-father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/michaboyett\/2013\/10\/thomas-a-modern-day-desert-father\/","title":{"rendered":"Thomas, a Modern Day Desert Father"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/p>\n

Thomas always stands on 9th and Clement in the afternoon. He and his red shopping cart piled high with strange containers and blankets and, usually, bottles of Coke. I always wonder, is it old Coke? Is it still bubbly? Thomas loves Coke.<\/p>\n

Usually, he paces and talks to himself, pivots, and does it again. But I\u2019ve been wondering lately if he\u2019s not really talking to himself. I\u2019ve been thinking he talks to God. At least that\u2019s what he tells me. His gray and black dreads fall down his back. His smile has only one top tooth left in it. How long has he lived on Clement street, scouting the trash cans in front of the mass of Chinese restaurants for leftovers each night?<\/p>\n

Twenty years, ago, he met Jesus. He told me so at the corner of Clement and 12th one afternoon this past summer, when the boys and I walked by after the park. By then, August and I remembered Thomas\u2019 name. By then Thomas smiled when he saw us. But maybe he always smiled when he saw us, even before we knew his name. Thomas is that way: a gentle soul. Perhaps that\u2019s why August has always remembered to notice him, why August makes sure we check with him when we pass him by.<\/p>\n

That day when he told me about Jesus, I said, \u201cMe too! I know Jesus too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re a sister!\u201d Thomas said and clapped his hands. Pure joy. I asked him if he had a church.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes. Star of the Sea,\u201d he said. \u201cMass every Sunday.\u201d And once I started paying attention, I knew it was true. Star of the Sea is near our house. We pass every Sunday on our way to church and every Sunday at 8:30 am, there is Thomas\u2019 red shopping cart packed full of containers and blankets, sitting by itself out front. Thomas is inside.<\/p>\n

Today he\u2019s in his afternoon spot. \u201cHi Thomas,\u201d I say, stopping next to the Walgreens.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh! Don\u2019t you look nice today!\u201d Thomas says. I have not showered. Or done more than stick my hair in a bun on the top of my head. No makeup. But he\u2019s so convinced I look lovely that I believe him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks. That\u2019s pretty nice to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing today?\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just going to a coffee shop to work on my computer for a while.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, good for you. You deserve to take care of yourself!\u201d<\/p>\n

I smile. \u201cWhat about you? How are you today?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019m just fellowshipping with the Lord. That\u2019s what I do with my day: Fellowshipping with the Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n

And I look at him and think of the Desert Fathers<\/a>. Maybe Thomas is a modern day Desert Father, waiting for miraculous bread, living by prayer alone. Instead of a cave, he dwells with his shopping cart along this road packed with people. Of course, the Desert Fathers chose their lives. I don\u2019t know Thomas\u2019 story, but I imagine he didn\u2019t want this. Yet still, his joy is near-holy. A Desert Father<\/em>, I think, then remember what St. Benedict called \u201cthe work of God<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hurry to the work of God<\/em>, Benedict said in his Rule.<\/p>\n

Thomas blesses me with some mumbled phrase about God I can\u2019t understand and then he adds. \u201cYou can take that to the bank!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will!\u201d And then, before I walk on, I add, \u201cThomas, you need anything today? Some water?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNope,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I\u2019d love a Coke.\u201d He smiles his gummy grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll find one for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

And I do. But I\u2019m a mom so I get him an even bigger bottle of water, just in case he decides to drink both. I really hope he drinks both.<\/p>\n

Then he returns to his work. I return to mine.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Photo Credit:\u00a0The Wandering Angel<\/a>\u00a0on Flickr<\/p>\n

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