A Difference of Opinion

The woman sat across from learned man
for whom she had (and has) respect,
leader, minister, more than that,
she always thought, a friend.
They disagreed on policy,
interpretation of a stance
he staunchly held as biblical
while she had also studied and
sincerely took a different view.
"I won't try to change your mind," said he,
though realizing her desire to do
exactly that with him. She laughed
and said, "You couldn't if you tried,
because you're wrong."
And after years have passed,
tonight she's thinking that their views,
for all the extra time in reading
and in prayer and fellowship with
other students of the text and God himself,
have probably not changed one whit.
Her own, she knows, is quite the same.
His, too, she'd bet. And yet the two
of them could sit and talk and
share without the raising of an
eyebrow or a tone. "A toast to you,"
she smiles and raises glass of wine
in honor of her friend so far away,
a little sad that, due to his beliefs
he'll likely never raise a toast to her
except perhaps a glass of juice
and what's the use of that?


(c) Ellen Gillette, 2013