At the Laundromat

Robert English is a former pastor of son LJ4. I greatly admire him. He recently wrote this and I share it with his gracious permission —

On this summer solstice I spent the evening in the laundromat where I got to introduce people to the grace that is laundry love.

There is this sacred and beautiful diversity that exists at Laundry love. It’s what we call intersectional. Diversity of race, class, gender and sexuality. A kaleidoscope of people all coming together around a basic human need: the dignity which comes from clean clothes.

The most holy moment was singing. The singing at Laundry love is the best. It is participatory and wondrous. We sang ‘this little light of mine.’ the upbeat version.

As we sang I was thinking about this quote from Thomas Merton who writes:

‘I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all these people , that they were mine and I was theirs, that we could not be alien to one another, even though we were strangers. I had the immense joy of being human, a member of the race God (God)self became incarnate…. If only everyone can realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no was of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun!’

Afte we sang, I read the scripture where Jesus says we are the light of the world. It hits different when you read that scripture in a laundromat on a Wednesday night to the intersectionally diverse community at laundry love. It feels like the kindom of God on earth.