Breakfast at Sally's - Eight

For our Sunday, February 21, 2010 conversation of Breakfast at Sally's, we are looking at Chapter 15 - "David's Song". Richard has left Tina's and is heading from his home of several days back to "freedom". We meet a couple characters in this chapter - Ogre and Lilly.

1. "The homeless are the freest of all. We have no dignity, no honor, no pride, no ego to protect." How "free" are you?
2. Richard credits "Mother Earth", "the Universe", or "the grace of God" as providing for him. Does it matter which it is he comes to believe in?
3. "C" was the "most alive" person Richard had ever met. Who is the "most alive" person you have met, and why do you characterize him or her in this way?
4. On Page 196 we read of "Ogre" having cut off part of his left arm with a bandsaw after a pastor told him of the biblical passage directing us to pluck out the offending body parts. (See Matthew 5:29ff...) Is the Bible literally true?
5. As we meet Lilly, we once again experience the homeless giving the last of their funds to another. (Page 199-200.) What kind of assurance would you need in order to be free enough to give your last penny to the poor?
6. I believe there is a move of patriotism and of the Spirit in this chapter - "Freedom" is celebrated; and Worship is experienced. Would you agree? Why, or why not?
   
7. In a moment of brutal honesty, Richard admits that, had it not been for "C", he simply would have stepped over Lilly. This is a (perhaps "the") recurring question in the book: What does it take to recognize and respond to the needs right beneath our feet?

I am looking forward to our conversation Sunday evening.