Latitude Catering

Canvassing Stories: One

“Latitude Catering—what is this place about?” That was the first thing out of my mouth as I walked into Bonnie’s office on Flores Street in Tucson.

She was the receptionist for the company. She told me about the ups and downs of the catering industry—how much it fluctuated depending on the weather. Catering, I thought. Couldn’t have found a better home for The Natural Gourmet, our newest cookbook.

But as usual, God had something else in mind. Go figure. 😄

After showing her the cookbook, I asked my usual question: “What kinds of books do you like to read?”

Actually… to be completely honest, I don’t remember her answer.

But before handing her the book, I asked a rather abrupt question: “Do you have any religious background?”

“Negative.”

Oh well. I gave her the book anyway.

Then I asked, “Are you familiar with the concept of church and state?”

“This book is all about how the two were never meant to get into bed together. And whenever they did, the offspring was never a pretty thing to look at.”

“Wow, that’s really interesting,” she replied.

By this point, the cookbook was already out the door.

“From talking to you,” I continued, “you don’t seem to have much bias toward religion—neither are you hostile to the concept. I think you’ll definitely appreciate this book because of your neutral attitude. I’m going to be honest—it does have a religious slant. But its presentation of the importance of the separation between church and state is very impartial. It makes a solid case, based on history and the Bible.”

She flipped through the pages slowly, taking moments here and there to respond to what I’d said—and to ask a few questions of her own.

“There’s actually a chapter on the French Revolution,” I added. “It explains how France was the first nation to officially deny the existence of God. And the reason? The Catholic Church had misrepresented God and the Bible—binding the consciences of the people through corruption and force.”

“What kind of Christian are you?” she asked.

“I’m a Seventh-day Adventist. I don’t know if you’ve heard much about us.”

“Not too much. My niece’s fiancé is an Adventist. His whole family is. Other than that, I don’t know too much.”

“Oh okay. You should ask them about it sometime.”

“One of the most important things to us Adventists is religious freedom,” I explained. “We actually have a religious liberty department that’s dedicated to helping people who’ve been discriminated against because of their faith. It doesn’t matter what you believe. If you’re being mistreated for your religion, they’ll do what they can to help.”

“I think I’m going to get this one,” she said. “Never mind the cookbook.”

The sale was complete.

I had to use the bathroom. When I came out and returned to the front to grab my belongings, Bonnie called my name—with a concerned tone.

“Daniel, you said this book is about the need for separation between religion and politics. If that’s the case, why are there so many Bible references?”

“Well, Bonnie, here’s the thing,” I said. “The reason is that the Bible—when correctly understood—offers the greatest freedom available to mankind. But throughout history, it’s been deeply misunderstood. So this book shows that, at the heart of the biblical message, is the offer of true freedom. That’s only possible when the two entities—church and state—remain separate. True freedom happens when every person can think and act for themselves before God and man, without coercion from another power, especially the government. That’s why you’ll find so many Bible references.”

“I think I’m going to like this one.”

“You will. I promise you.”