(It’s guest post Friday! Here’s one from Drew Marshall. You can check out his blog here or follow him on Twitter. If you want to write a guest post for SCL, here’s how!)
Coffee houses: Bars for Christians
As single Christians, we are told time and time again that, in order to meet our future husband/wife, we should scour the church, because that’s really the only place to find good spousal material. But finding your Boaz or Ruth can be tricky on Sunday mornings, especially since it’s a difficult transition from a sermon about Stephen’s martyrdom to “Hey, uh, can I get your number?” Singles groups can be nice, but the sheer awkwardness of such a forced environment isn’t exactly conducive to getting a date. So where else are Christians to turn? Luckily, there is a highly caffeinated haven for singles activity: the coffee house.
The coffee house is essentially a bar for Christians. While a real bar can sometimes be trashy, loud, and full of alcoholic beverages that we would dare not consume (uh-huh), the coffee house is the far more wholesome alternative. Some churches now even have coffee houses that they financially support, and while they are open to the general public, Christians flock to them like crazy. And why not? There’s always a bunch of single people there who are “doing homework,” “meeting with mentors,” or “visiting with friends.” I use quotes because, while these might be the stated reasons for visiting the coffee shop, the real reason is to get the digits from the cutie in the booth by the creamer.
As a single Christian law student, my game plan would be to wear some sort of law school t-shirt, carry around the biggest Bible I have, and make sure to sit somewhat close to the table full of girls doing their “Jesus Calling” devotionals. “Oh hey there girl with ‘Campus Crusade Winter Conference 2012’ t-shirt on, I couldn’t help but notice you reading your Bible. What’s your favorite chapter?” And just like that, you’re in.
So next time you feel as though the crop on Sunday morning is like a Star Trek convention, rest easy that there is almost certainly a local, hip, Christian coffee house where your future spouse awaits.
For more great writing from Drew, check out his blog!