“I just don’t really see…” Garret looked at the man skeptically, “why a church spent good money and hired a screenwriter. No offense.”
The man smiled behind his round, blue-rimmed glasses and gestured Garret to follow him.
Garret favored his good hip as he walked by the other church offices behind him. He followed the man's beige cardigan and leather shoes.
The man glanced around and smiled at him as he pointed at the coffee pot. “Can I pour you some coffee?” Garret nodded. The pastor poured both of them a mug and they continued walking. “My office is just up here.”
As they stepped inside his office Garret looked at the expensive, plush chairs. “Don’t get me wrong, I liked your movies… but, I’m an accountant and--” he lowered his voice and his head, “Well, until last week I was-- but to me everything’s about the bottom line. What is the ROI. The Return on Investment for hiring a 'Pastor of Story'. We aren't selling movie tickets here.”
Garret shifted and said a little quieter, “And I doubt they could match whatever you were earning in... Hollywood, was it?”
The man nodded and smiled, “Close to there.” He folded his legs, ready to listen. “Why don’t you tell me what happened with your job, and your wife, Garret? Maybe I can help you make sense of some things.”
—-
An hour and a half later Garret walked out of the office, trying to hold back a smile. “I just can’t believe how you could see all that in all the shit—pardon my french—the junk that’s happened to me lately. I was about to leave the church and my wife all together. But you’ve totally reframed it.”
“Just remember: characters in the hardest situations, with the most at stake—“
“—are necessary for the greatest stories,” Garret finished his sentence. “Oh, and what was that movie you recommended, again?”
“Grand Turino.” He walked Garret to the door where Garret turned to him and lowered his voice again, “I mean, I feel so much better, but I still don’t get it: What is the ROI on hiring a Pastor of Story?”
“You are, Garret. You, and the story God can write with your life.”
-Raw Spoon, 9-7-22
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