Talking Points and Golf

“Absolution is not removal of responsibility for the future. Like a bank savings account where a withdrawal can be made whenever you see the need.”

“Well, I’m not a priest so I have never known the finer details. You know, the differences between forgiveness and absolution. It’s never, ever made sense to me. Not only am I not a priest, I have no ties to any religious order, nor do I want any.”

“Even though I’ve tried - and tried - to explain it to you, Jeremy?”

Jeremy shook his head and laughed. “Still doesn’t make sense. Have you got your clubs with you?”

“Of course. I never go anywhere without them. By the way, our tee time is in……Father Mike glanced at his watch……..an hour. Finish up your drink and let’s get going. It’s bit of a drive to the golf course.”

Jeremy and Father Mike had had this conversation many times. Both of them held fast to their beliefs. Friends since kindergarten, they grew in stature and interests. Although, they took different career paths, maintained regular visits. As each of them traveled and technology took hold of the world, they had long phone conversations. Phones gave way to Skype to Facetime. Their ‘good old long talks’ stayed long and very often the world’s ills, while challenging, were certainly not cured. 

On this afternoon, they were both in the same city for coinciding conferences. When they discovered this marvellous opportunity, an extended golfing vacation was in order. They always picked up where they left off from their last conversation. Many years before, after a vicious physical fight the two twenty something friends had had over the religious vs secular aspects of their beliefs, the two friends had called it quits. But, sitting on the ground, bruised and dirty, one of them - and neither remembers who laughed first - started to chuckle. The chuckle turned to deep belly laughs until they were both in tears. In the dust and dirt of this very unfriendly fight they shook hands and promised each other that they would not let their opinions divide them.

“Mike, did you read any headlines this morning? It’s International Women’s Day. What does your Vatican think of that? Women are going to take over the world someday. They’ll run the place and we can golf all we want.”

“Jeremy, you just won’t call me by my clerical name! Why is that? International Women’s Day! Where did that come from? I’ve got five sisters and I work with a lot of nuns. What do you mean ‘they will run the world’? It feels like women have always been running my life.”

“So where are we going for dinner after this game? Is there a good pub in this neighbourhood?”

Their voices drifted on the afternoon breeze. If you listened closely, eventually there was the click of a driver on a little white ball. Then laughter and “Man! Look at that ball fly!”

“A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself.”

~ Jim Morrison