Praying in the Aisles

Whenever social mores and conventions are challenged, forwarded or destroyed, those who are more conservative among us often ask “what next”? An example follows: A couple three months ago I was strolling about a local Salvation Army Thrift Store. As I recall, my mood was changing and not for the better as I shopped. I was not sure what was going on with me until I realized the problem. I couldn’t think or shop in that very loud Christian Rock music was blaring though the loudspeakers. It wasn’t even “Jars of Clay” or some such. It was like I would imagine a Christian Rock garage band to sound like had I ever gotten close enough. The music/radio station bothered me not because it was Christian, Rock or even Christian Rock. It was simply too loud and poorly presented in my opinion. It wasn’t background music. It was played at an audible level that one might enjoy at home. I felt it was trying to convert/proselytize people. It actually became more offensive the longer I remained in the store.


As I made my purchase, I told the clerk of my concern and she did not verbally respond. She rolled her eyes as if to say “anyone who would complain about Christian music probly need some.” I was on my way again, a little miffed at the down fall of customer service. A customer expresses a concern and does not even get a verbal response? What is the world coming to?

Before yesterday I had not returned to that store. Actually, it was by accident even then. I was running an errand in the area and just popped in for a look see. As I wondered the house wares section and maneuvered past a giant rolling cart with merchandize to be shelved, I passed a sales person that I have seen many times before. She is always polite, but appears far too serious about her work for me to do anything but ignore her. Yesterday was different. As I passed the woman another customer passed me and greeted the saleswoman. “Hi, how are you” the saleswoman asked? “I’m okay” the customer responded. The saleswoman then asked “Where is your husband? Is he wondering around here somewhere?” She then looked about the store and back at the woman. “He left me” was the weepy response. The saleswoman incredulously (I always wanted to use that word in a sentence) asked again. The customer told of how her husband recently went south to handle business with their second home. He apparently returned and announced things were over and left. “He did not even say goodbye to the children. He just got his stuff and left. Thirty years down the drain,” she added. The saleswoman gave her a bear hug and both women wept loudly. I was confused and alarmed by what happened next. Nosy bastard that I am, I quickly rolled my cart to the next aisle to remain in earshot.

The saleswoman started to loudly pray with the woman right there in the house wares section. “Oh, Jesus…” They both wept and prayed for Jesus to intercede. The saleswoman prayed for the return of the woman’s husband and family unit. She prayed for strength for herself and the woman. Her prayers lasted for roughly ten minutes as I stood an aisle over at this point pretending to look at the hanging shirts. It was like what one might expect at the end of one of those tele-evangelist shows where people are prayed for to be healed physically, spiritually and or emotionally. I was a little stunned by it all. I had never seen anything like it ever. The prayer circle, as I later learned it is called ended with each woman wishing the other well. The chatted of makeovers and starting life anew. Twenty minutes or so later I passed that customer in another aisle continuing her shopping.

I wasn’t sure what to think of all this at the time. How appropriate was this? One person suggested to me that the woman was in pain and “so what if they were praying in the aisles.” It was necessary to alleviate her pain, she added. I’m still confused. I can see both sides. I do think that it was great to help the woman who was obviously in great pain. I am also a tad selfish in that I believe that maybe it should all have taken place in a back room and not been part of my day? As I left the store, I could again here the loud Christian Rock. I thought ‘maybe I need a new thrift store/church.’