One Hundred Feet

Last Sunday, my husband and I enjoyed one of the best movies in a long time, in the historic Franklin Theatre in downtown Franklin, TN. The theatre is beautiful inside and out and host to many concerts and movies, as well as a swingin' new year's eve party with Tommy Dorsey. We sat in the front row right in the center - perfect seats. What unfolded during the 2-hour movie was a beautiful story of two opposite cultures joined by a mutual love and respect for fine cuisine and a strong desire to achieve success for their families. Each family's story was lived out in the restaurants they poured their lives into, directly across the street from each other. It was a love story peppered with the spices of India and the haute cuisine of France. We dove in headfirst into a sea of sensory enticement - we could smell the intoxicating aroma of curry and tikka masala. We felt the cultural tension as Bastille Day was celebrated with fireworks and fine hors d'ouerves, all while tapping our feet to the rhythms of Indian music from across the street. We were transported to the beauty of France's countryside and their panache for fine dining and aristocracy, juxtaposed with empathy for a displaced family from India trying to rebuild their lives through their fledgling restaurant in a country where they had no ground.

But this was just a movie - a work of fiction to be enjoyed. The music score was beautiful, the setting was breathtaking, and the acting was superb.

Now, two days later, I am pondering the concept of a one-hundred foot journey. That is the distance that separated the two restaurants and cultures. It was simply a walk across the street, much like you and I in our neighborhoods. Or maybe it's the distance from your office to a coworker you don't agree with or get along with. Or maybe, figuratively, it's the distance between you and a loved one - that distance that could be traversed by a phone call or an email.

I believe we all have our one-hundred foot journeys. We have broken relationships, or relationships we have refused to engage in because we feel (you can fill in this blank). And no matter how justified we feel (a subject for a different blog), or how far we believe the chasm to be, it's truly only one-hundred feet - 25 to 30 steps. With each step we take, we are saying NO to hatred, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, coveting, envy, jealousy, greed and pride. We are saying YES to love, forgiveness, peace, and kindness. We are saying YES to community and faith. We are saying "you matter more to me than I do." We are saying "we are better together." We are unclenching our fist in order to grasp the hand of another, to embrace rather than fight, to stand rather than run.

Jesus has strong words to say about how we love - just read Matthew chapter 5. And then start walking. After all, it's only one-hundred feet.

Peace.