I Walked Into Starbucks

Highstreet Starbucks in Abbotsford. 

I walked into Starbucks.

No, not because I like to drink the overpriced heathen caffeine juice, (ok, sometimes I do), but because there is one where I work, and I like to chat with the tenants.

As I walked in, the barrista greeted me warmly, offered me a grande Pike Place Roast with room for cream… (it’s what I get if I get anything…) and asked how my day was.

“It is going wonderfully!” I exclaimed, as I accepted the overpriced coffee and headed to the condiment stand to mix in some milk. I chatted with the supervisor on duty for a couple minutes, and sipped from my red cup which, by the way, was lacking in Christmas decorations.

Appalling…right?

In the corner, I noticed a group of young people, three of them, all sipping from the same red cups as I (which also were lacking snowflakes and bells). In front of them on the table were two laptops, an i-pad, and 3 bibles. That’s right, leather-bound, old-fashioned, paper Bibles. They were discussing something like evangelism or missions, and it sounded like they were trying to come up with ideas for a Christmas outreach program in Abbotsford.

And they weren’t being very quiet about it!

Christmas! They used the word Christmas in Starbucks!

They were talking about Jesus! In Starbucks!

Their Bibles were open! In plain view in Starbucks!

I waited for the managers head to explode…but it didn’t.

And those three young people did not seem to mind that the red cups they were ignorantly drinking from were lacking any sort of Christmas decoration. In fact they were so enthralled in their conversation about sharing the gospel of Jesus with their community this Christmas, that I don’t think they even realized the problem with their cups!

What is going on here?

Christians speaking freely of Jesus in Starbucks without being persecuted, AND they don’t care about Starbucks war on Christmas?

I said goodbye to the staff at Starbucks; they all waved and smiled, I took one more glance over at the table of young Christians and smiled myself.

As I left, I drank the rest of my Pike Place, tossed the joyless red cup in the recycling, and walked back to my office.

It was a good visit.

I may go back tomorrow.

This post first appeared on the  One Christian Dad Facebook Page.