Jane and Elizabeth went for an early morning run along the Charles, enjoying the beautiful fall foliage. When they returned Carol had already left. They showered and got ready while they discussed their plans for the day.
"We still have an hour before the opening session. Should we grab some breakfast? I think there's a buffet in the lobby." Elizabeth asked while she threw her long hair into a ponytail.
Jane, who was still deliberating over her outfit, didn't answer.
"Earth to Jane." She teased, smiling at her sister in the full length mirror. "The dark jeans look great with that sweater."
"Thanks." Jane responded, slipping into the suggested pair and then giving her sister her full attention. "You said something about breakfast."
Before Elizabeth could answer the room phone rang from between the beds. Elizabeth moved to answer it. Jane returned to her perusal of her appearance choosing to add a necklace and some lip gloss to achieve the desired look. When Elizabeth hung up the phone Jane looked at her for an explanation.
"That was Charlie," Elizabeth began, watching her sister's smile and blush with pleasure, "apparently the three of them are down at breakfast and Carol forgot to tell us to meet them."
"Oh great." Jane grabbed her purse and Bible.
"Yeah great." Elizabeth said with less enthusiasm as she packed her cell phone, Bible and i-pad in a tote bag.
"You know I'm sure it just did slip her mind, but part of me wonders if Carol forgot to tell us about breakfast on purpose."
Elizabeth, who was absolutely sure Carol excluded them on purpose, was surprised her trusting sister had also reached this conclusion.
"To be honest I think she is jealous of you." Jane added.
"Of me? What do you mean?"
"I think she may be interested in Will."
"Yeah it takes all of three seconds in their company to pick up on that tidbit." Elizabeth answered with a laugh.
"Ok ok," Jane responded as they got out of the elevator and followed the signs to the restaurant.
"How would that make her jealous of me?" Elizabeth asked as they reached the hostess stand and began searching for Charlie and company.
"I think she may have noticed that Will looks at you an awful lot and seems to listen intently when you speak." She said this quickly as Charlie had spotted them and was approaching. Elizabeth stood open mouthed for a moment and then she set off in Charlie and Jane's wake thinking how off the mark her sweet naïve sister was. Jane thought everyone was or should be interested in Elizabeth.
The sisters sat down, Jane beside Charlie. Elizabeth took the other empty chair which was next to Will who of course had Carol on his other side. After giving their drink orders to the white shirted waiter they all went up to the buffet. Elizabeth couldn't decide between eggs and waffles so she heaped both onto her plate, with a side of bacon. Carol, whose large plate contained only half of a grapefruit, looked at Elizabeth's plate in horror.
"My, what a healthy appetite." She observed when they were all seated.
"Oh breakfast is Lizzy's favorite meal." Jane responded.
"Mine too." Charlie said.
"So we see." Darcy added eyeing Bingley's overloaded plate.
"We can't all get by on just fiber cereal and a banana."
"Overeating is very unattractive Charles." Carol reprimanded while taking a small bite of her grapefruit.
"Of course Carol," he responded with smile and a mouthful of scrambled eggs. "The enjoyment of food is clearly what's doing in this great nation of ours."
"You shouldn't dismiss the impact of gluttony dear brother."
"No certainly," Elizabeth chimed in after a few bites of her Belgian waffle. "but I think what Charlie meant to imply was that there are other more serious issues we could expend our time addressing and rectifying."
"Does that mean that we must fix problems in sequential order only based on their seriousness?" Will challenged with a raised brow at Elizabeth.
"No," Elizabeth responded swallowing her bacon. "It's just that there are an array of important and pressing problems that would benefit from the time and attention given to less serious issues by some people."
"But don't certain people have certain passions for certain issues which they should pursue even if those issues might seem unimportant to others."
"Right," Carol piped up having consumed her entire breakfast in record time. "Aren't we all designed that way in fact?"
"I think Elizabeth's point is that some issues can and should be seen as objectively more important than others. Like say world hunger should matter more to us all than say a theological disagreement like infant baptism." Charlie offered.
"Of course you think we should avoid any deep theological arguments, Charles. You so despise deep thoughts." Carol said with disdain, eying Darcy for agreement.
"I don't mind deep thoughts Carol, I just think some people spend all their time and energy debating things we may never have an answer to this of heaven when there are real problems to be tackled in the wide world." With that Charlie gave his attention back to his breakfast.
"But if we don't debate issues of theological importance what is the point of church and seminary?" Carol asked in a superior tone.
"I have never thought of churches or seminaries as places to debate theology and ignore the problems of the world." Elizabeth observed having been drawn from the enjoyment of her breakfast by the interesting nature of the debate.
"But if churches and places of Christian higher learning don't focus on doctrine and theology won't they produce ignorant and ill-equipped Christians?" Darcy asked Elizabeth.
"Certainly," Carol agreed with enthusiasm before Elizabeth had a chance to respond. "or do you not think the prevailing ignorance of scripture in the American church is a problem?"
"We need to be equipping the men and women who will lead the church with a firm foundation of biblical knowledge, theology and church history." Darcy agreed looking to Elizabeth for her response.
"Will only thinks these things are of vital importance because he is such a highly regarded expert in them all." Charlie said with a wink at Elizabeth.
"I agree these things are important" Elizabeth began, first addressing Charlie then turning to Will, "but what I, and I think Charlie, are saying is that the church cannot be focused on doctrine to the exclusion of those issues which impact the lives of people every day like hunger, poverty , racism and political oppression."
"The social gospel." Carol summed up with disdain.
"There is only one gospel, Carol." Elizabeth answered. "We do it a disservice if we focus exclusively on one aspect over another. Jesus not only cast out demons and preached the kingdom of God He also healed the sick, fed the hungry and challenged the corruption of the social order of His day."
"Exactly." Charlie agreed with a smile of triumph at Carol.
"Well put, Elizabeth." Will added. Elizabeth was afraid she had spoken too passionately and would offend the austere Pastor, but her passion was always displayed with such a combination of conviction and vulnerability that it rarely offended. In fact Will was nothing but intrigued by her in that moment. Carol may have been offended but Elizabeth's manner of expression could not really be blamed for that.