The Corner of Church and Gay

The other day, a friend asked me where I come from.

“What part of the world is it?”  “What is it like?”

My answer was quick, as we had to begin our days…but her questions lingered long after we said our goodbyes.

As I drove away, I considered the simplicity of my answer and how little my description conveyed the beauty of my hometown. The more I drove, the more my thoughts painted a picture of the wealthy town we just left here in Switzerland.

I thought about the buildings, the parks, the restaurants, the people.  Finally, I thought about the corner of Church and Gay Streets.  So much so that if I had to answer again, I would spend all my time telling her about the beauty of Church and Gay.

For it is on the corner of Church and Gay Streets, you can glimpse “earth as it is in heaven.” On the corner of Church and Gay, you can see strangers as neighbors.  You can see love without assumptions.  You can see friendships without pretenses.  You can see sacrifice bringing new life.  And you can meet and see the wealthiest members of our community.

I would tell her that if she ever visits my town of Phoenixville, she should go to the corner of Church and Gay on a Wednesday morning, for it is here that she could see it for herself.  Despite their differences, she would see a wealthy group of friends standing together in community, enacting what it means to be children of “Our Father”.  She would see a man pull up in his pick-up like he does every Wednesday morning with a trunk full of groceries.  A man whose acts go unnoticed by many but help “deliver people from evil.”  She would see those who work and volunteer their time, those doing “thy will” of a different kingdom, come out of the building to unload the truck.  She would then see the group of wealthy friends go into the building one by one to receive their “daily bread.”  And if she were lucky, she would see these rich folks come out of the building and freely share their bread between themselves.

I would ask her to try not to stare at the impoverished people in our town—those whose poverty prevents them from ever seeing and participating in this beauty. Instead, I would ask her to pray that they, too, could one day see and experience this corner’s great riches.

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.  

-Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Finally, depending on how much time she had, I would tell her about the other beautiful places to visit in our town.  Places like 141 High Street or 209 Emmett Street on the North Side of town.  Or right up the road from the corner of Church and Gay, where she could find 143 Church Street.  While she was there, she should stay for lunch at 121 Church Street.  And finally, if she had time, she could go to the newest place of incredible beauty and wealth, 148 Church Street, especially if it were on a cold, brisk Pennsylvania night.

I don’t know if my family will ever again live in this beautiful town…only God knows that.  But if we don’t, I hope to visit often, maybe even with my new friends from Switzerland, so we can all experience the great beauty and wealth of Phoenixville, PA.

We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.

– Dorothy Day