Salvation at a Price

Well, the little woman and I are back in our repaired house, still in Seine. Our temporary, emergency stay in the basement of the ocean-front lighthouse was welcomed. Jonka and I are grateful to the local Salvation Army which made our stay possible.

I think I'll start donating more stuff to the Salvation Army instead of Goodwill. The Army gives much more of its collected items than does Goodwill directly to the poor and needy. Of course, most people think the Sal Army is simply another charitable organization, but it's technically a church denomination, though one whose primary mission is to help the poor. The Sal Army began as a reform movement within the Methodist Church in England, because its founders thought that their Methodist Church was too liturgical, too formal, and not enough concerned with the needy. Ironically, the Methodist Church itself developed from the Anglican Church, because John Wesley and others thought that their Anglican Church was too liturgical and too formal. Go figure.

Thus before Jonka and I vacated the lighthouse, the Sal Army official made us sign a pledge not to drink alcohol, gamble, dance, nor play cards; and pledge to help the poor every week. Then we had to sing all six verses of Wesley's hymn, "Amazing Grace."

But all was not loss or even frustrated, as I demanded that I be made on the spot an honorary officer in the Salvation Army. Henceforth I shall be addressed as Colonel Gargoyle.