It’s long been in the works for me that I would write something about the theological beliefs and convictions that undergird my love of coffee. It’s one of those funny things about life that the passions that we have, even if they don’t come from a “religious” place originally, end up being places we find God. Maybe God gives us these passions on purpose, or maybe it’s just true that God is in everything, and if we dig deep enough into our passions we’ll find God there, transforming the world. I think I lean towards the second one; if we believe that God created this world and intends it for peace, justice, and righteousness, then we ought to be finding such qualities and characteristics bursting forth in all of the things we might call “good” in this world. This is what I believe about film, as any reader of my blog already knows.

But coffee? Really? That thing that we drink just to make it through work? (Or maybe just to make it to work!)

Yes, I believe that God is in coffee. And no, I don’t mean in a literal or supernatural way, like many Christians believe God to be in the Eucharist. What I simply mean to say is that at every turn, this passion of mine about coffee, where it comes from, where it goes, what it becomes, the culture it creates, the life of a coffeehouse, and the stories it creates are absolutely teeming with glimpses of the Kingdom of God in this world.

Honestly, it’s okay if you don’t believe me right now. You don’t have to. But if you’re at all curious, I encourage you to follow this new series I’m beginning. I want to convince you that a cup of coffee can change the world, that where our coffee comes from matters, that the coffeehouse you choose to go to might mean the difference between justice or extortion on the other side of the world. I want to convince you that coffee can transform a city, becoming a place where people gather and form community in the same way that people used to do at church. I want to tell you about the surprising ways that the coffee industry has become a place of openness and building each other up and seeking the welfare of the neighborhood. I want to tell you about how coffee brings joy, and how God smiles upon the the good things we “add” to creation in the name of peace. And I want to tell you some deeply personal stories about how coffee and people in coffee have dramatically changed my life… and I’d love to hear yours too.

So be on the lookout for new posts coming every couple days. I think coffee is one of the greatest passions that many of us share in common, and I look forward to searching for God with all of you at the bottom of our cups.