Have you ever met someone and instantly sensed their kind spirit and generous heart? Glen Moon is one of the first people to greet us each Sunday morning, and I know I always look forward to his smile, which seems to radiate from deep within. He is invariably there, a steady, welcoming presence.
I get many opportunities to share a meal while gathering these stories, and for this one, I traveled to the moon, the Texas Moon that is. I visited with Glen and Sara at their home and enjoyed a wonderful meal and stories late into the night. I have driven by the Texas Moon for years, never realizing that one day, I would get to know Glen and Sara, worship together, serve together, and share in their story.
Glen has been a police officer with the Beaumont PD for 34 years, and you can only imagine the stories he has to tell and the things he has seen. Believe me, when I say, you really can’t imagine walking a day in his shoes. Most of us go about our predictable days letting the little things stress us and test our patience.
Officer Moon goes to work, protecting us from the worst the city has to offer, and that makes our complaints look ridiculous and petty. We may pray for patience with a coworker, and Glen prays he makes it home another night.
My favorite story was the night Glen and Sara met, which must be the most bizarre tale of loves beginning that I have ever heard. They met at a crime scene, under a tree, investigating a suicide. There were plenty of stories where the Moon’s crossed paths on the way to various crime scenes, Sara collecting evidence and Glen investigating. He has stories of action and drama that I could have listened to all night, but it was Sara who offered stories of Glen’s kindness. She spoke of the people he brought home because they didn’t have any other place to go, his thoughtfulness, his willingness to do the things Jesus taught us. Glen is the first to arrive at Kairos and the last to leave, and I always see several guests seek him out to say hello and share a hug.
As I drove home that night, a full moon lighting their country road, I thought about everything I heard and about the experiences I’ve had serving with Glen. I wondered how he was able to see people at their worst—people who try to hurt him, spit on him, call him names—and still be kind and generous. How does a person work that out? Every Sunday, we say that we will seek to love the city with the heart of Christ, and I had to ask him how he does this. He told me it’s because of his faith community, the people he surrounds himself with, his faith in Jesus, and a whole lot of praying. If our purpose is to look more like Jesus every day, I believe Glen’s story can help us learn how to do this. I know it has changed my perspective, and for that, I am grateful.
Story and Headshot by Michelle Holland