NEITHER RAIN NOR SNOW NOR SLEET NOR HAIL keeps Leonard Lempert and his two retired cronies from their appointed rounds at the picnic table. "We think of ourselves as 'the Christian Scientist, the Catholic, and the agnostic,' " Lempert laughs, referring to himself and "the two Toms"—one a lawyer, the other an ex-advertising executive and current town selectman—who gather most mornings outside the tiny general store in rural Massachusetts.
"Weather seldom keeps us away," Lempert, a former economic statistician, says, adding that he always prays in the early morning hours about all aspects of the day ahead. But there's one thing he makes clear—these picnic table gatherings aren't "spiritual meetings." He describes them simply as "just friends talking," and sees his part as expanding thought about what he's come to know about spiritual life. "I don't label it 'Christian Science,' " he continues. "It's seeing whatever comes up—from world politics to local town meetings—and lifting everything higher." What comes up might even include something in the trio's Monday morning rehash of TV sports from the day before. "I could bring up the idea of seeing the ability of an individual to overcome what seems to be human impossibilities—something Mary Baker Eddy was very good at," Lempert observes. "Maybe it's the US Tennis Open and a player comes from behind when she's four sets down. How did she win the game? It's got to be something beyond physical ability. Some strength that's God-given. Why not acknowledge that out loud?"
But whether he's in shirt sleeves or a parka, Lempert's the first to admit that meeting up with the two Toms isn't a one-way street. "They're an incredible blessing in my life," he says. "These two sharp thinkers awaken me to ideas I never considered." Whenever anybody gets too opinionated about US politics—and Lempert readily includes himself—he can likely be found bringing up our country's history. "Two-hundred years? We're babies! That's nothing in eternity. We need to be patient—we're not in a position to judge authoritatively about where we are or where we've been or where we're going." This also applies to the long human history each of the three retirees has. "Mrs. Eddy tells us never to record ages, so 'record' could also mean 'discuss' "—which means when the topic of illness and ailments comes up, he attempts to change the subject. "Unfortunately for them, it's usually one of my corny jokes."
