But my normal shiner Winder was gone. I was introduced to Theo. “Ya know dat ‘theo’ mean ‘one God,’ yes sir.” Theo is an old black man. Picture the Gospel-singing grave diggers from O Brother Where Art Thou and you know the man. I sat down and Theo said, “I learned how to do this from my older brotha, that is when he sat down and washed the Twelve Men feet.” Looking at my clerical suit he said, “You see, me an’ you in the same business.”

Then he took off my shoes and started scrubbing them, quoting Scripture the whole time, “When you do it to the least of these, you do it unto me.”

He started talking about how he is so blessed and how he shines shoes for the Lord. I was like, are you in Opus Dei or something? Seriously, this guy was into sanctifying the labor of shoe shining. Then he starting singing Gospel music. Meanwhile he put my shoes back on my feet and starting getting at it. He worked up a sweat on my shoes. He was really going working furiously. Meanwhile he was singing Gospel:

Is my home churcha
Is my home churcha
Day tryin’ to burn my churcha

Day try to burna Shadrach
Day try to burna Mischach
Day try to burna Abednego

But day cant burn my churcha

Is da churcha

Sunday school at nine
Worship at eleven
In the evenin

Is my home churcha

Is gettin hard
If we just keep prayin
If we just hold on

Is my home churcha

In the revelations
Comin out of trials and tribulations
Hundred foty fo’ thousan’
Is my home churcha

Blood of the Lamb!
Is my home churcha
We need an Evangelist
Is my home churcha

With the laces out, on and on he went. I felt like he was buffing the shoes of Christ himself. He repeated until they were shining like I have never seen a shoe shine. It was amazing.

Then he tapped the shoes and said, “That’s what Jesus does to our souls!”

And I said, “Makes them shine.”

And he said, “That’s right brotha!”

He refused any pay but I gave him a ten and told him that he had blessed me by shining my shoes. Theo. A lesser known saint.

But my normal shiner Winder was gone. I was introduced to Theo. “Ya know dat ‘theo’ mean ‘one God,’ yes sir.” Theo is an old black man. Picture the Gospel-singing grave diggers from O Brother Where Art Thou and you know the man. I sat down and Theo said, “I learned how to do this from my older brotha, that is when he sat down and washed the Twelve Men feet.” Looking at my clerical suit he said, “You see, me an’ you in the same business.”

Then he took off my shoes and started scrubbing them, quoting Scripture the whole time, “When you do it to the least of these, you do it unto me.”

He started talking about how he is so blessed and how he shines shoes for the Lord. I was like, are you in Opus Dei or something? Seriously, this guy was into sanctifying the labor of shoe shining. Then he starting singing Gospel music. Meanwhile he put my shoes back on my feet and starting getting at it. He worked up a sweat on my shoes. He was really going working furiously. Meanwhile he was singing Gospel:

Is my home churcha
Is my home churcha
Day tryin’ to burn my churcha

Day try to burna Shadrach
Day try to burna Mischach
Day try to burna Abednego

But day cant burn my churcha

Is da churcha

Sunday school at nine
Worship at eleven
In the evenin

Is my home churcha

Is gettin hard
If we just keep prayin
If we just hold on

Is my home churcha

In the revelations
Comin out of trials and tribulations
Hundred foty fo’ thousan’
Is my home churcha

Blood of the Lamb!
Is my home churcha
We need an Evangelist
Is my home churcha

With the laces out, on and on he went. I felt like he was buffing the shoes of Christ himself. He repeated until they were shining like I have never seen a shoe shine. It was amazing.

Then he tapped the shoes and said, “That’s what Jesus does to our souls!”

And I said, “Makes them shine.”

And he said, “That’s right brotha!”

He refused any pay but I gave him a ten and told him that he had blessed me by shining my shoes. Theo. A lesser known saint.