supper at Jim's

Colleen had no idea what might happen when Jim called to take her to the supper. “Why 7:20 Jim? It seems an odd sort of time?”

“I’m on my way home from church”.

Colleen’s heart dropped “I should have known he was some religious freak- I bet that’s where Bridget got her new interest in mass from” she thought, now expecting the worst from the supper. “Just what a lot of Christians would do on a Sunday night- probably some sort of prayer meeting too”.

“What are you studying Colleen? I’ll try and introduce you to some friends how might have some common interests”.

“Economics – I’m going to be an accountant”.

By the time they got to Jim’s loft there were about a dozen other people already there and about the same number came in soon after. The room was a little cramped. Jim walked Colleen up to a group of 4 others.” This is Colleen a friend of mine and I teach her little sister. She's doing Economics at college. Colleen meet Becky Sharpe, Joss and Amelia Sedley and Pitt Crawley".

“Well colleen nice to meet you Tell me what do you think of this free trade agreement that the White house is talking about with Australia” asked Pitt.

Colleen taken aback by the question and puzzled by the strange name little gave a stock answer about free trade bringing economic benefits to all.

“But is that true? I mean we get told that but its an ideology, its not a universal truth our own history shows that our economy grew quickest when we had tariffs and that was true of every industrialising country from Germany under Bismark to Japan under the Meiji restoration”.

Colleen began to wonder what she was in for- she had no idea when invited she would be asked such searching questions. “Well that’s not quite so look for example at India today. And in any case to put up tariff barriers means that poorer countries can’t get the benefits of their cheap labour and so grow their economies”.

“Thought one of Jims friends would take a moral argument. You’re right too but the problem is that those poor countries don’t share their wealth evenly. India is a case in point for in the recent elections the old government lost because the benefits were not being felt at village level” chimed in Becky.

“Yes but because the country is democratic then the people have that chance and that too is part of the free market. Look how it brought down communism in Eastern Europe and the increased freedoms in South ‘Korea and Taiwan” retorted Colleen who was beginning to like the intellectual challenge- so different to what her friends talked about so often.

But she was interrupted by people bringing out plates of food. The people she was with went to get some and she found her self in a new circle after she had grabbed some soup sandwiches and a cake. This group was talking about “Smart growth” a term new to Colleen who listened intently till she found that it meant urban renewal and then she too contributed something. And so the evening went on. So many interesting conversations interspersed with good food. Colleen found she enjoyed herself greatly.

Then at 8:50 Davie called out “Wrap up time please come and help clean the kitchen” and for about 10 minutes everyone pitched in and restored the loft to its usual tidy state.

Then at 9 all the people stood up quietly in the sitting room. Colleen wondered for a moment what was happening until someone spoke “Lighten our darkness O Lord and grant that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world may rest on your eternal changelessness"

People then repeated the Lords Prayer and began to go home.

Colleen found Jim “hey this was a great night I really enjoyed the talk thanks but who are these people they all seem so clever are they all graduates”.

Jim smiled and shook his head. “We call ourselves young Christian leaders- guess that’s a bit presumptuous of us. No we’re not all at university – the man who led prayers –Derek Wood works on the city sewer farm though he is planning to go to theological college next year. It’s a group of people from different churches we meet for supper each Sunday like this and we also have talks on various topics –not very churchy topics either twice a month. Like to come again?”

“Yes thanks".

“Well I’ll take you home now”.

They talked of this and that for a while on the way home then just before they arrived at Colleens Jim turned and said ”I’m very glad you came tonight. I so hope we can be friends. If I were rude and upset you today please forgive me”.

Again Colleen thought Jim was too nice but this time said nothing just nodded and as they pulled up to her parents house turned to kiss Jim holding his face for a moment to kiss his lips.

Then as Jim walked her to her door she flung her arms round him and kissed him again “Don’t tell me you didn’t like that, Jim Hawkins” she whispered as she walked inside her house.