When I was in high school, I was dating a girl from a very conservative religious family. Every Sunday, we would go to church together and then have Sunday dinner together. To add a little variety to this routine, we would alternate churches and households for dinner. When we went to her church, we had dinner with her parents. When we went to my church, we had dinner with my parents.

Early in the summer one Sunday, I drove out to pick her up as we were planning on going to my church. And in keeping with the routine, we were planning on dinner at my parents. Since she wasn’t ready when I arrived, I had a light conversation with her mother.

During that conversation her mother asked what we were going to have for dinner. When I told her that we were going to be grilling steaks in the backyard, she got a funny look on her face. Moments later when my girlfriend appeared, her mother quickly got her off to the side and they began whispering back and forth to each other. After emerging from the huddle, my girlfriend suggested that we have dinner with her parents instead. Since that was fine with me, I called my parents and let them know of the change in plans.

Later that evening, she explained to me that it grilling was not a proper thing to do on a Sunday. She went on to say that Sunday should be a quiet and restful day with church as the only activity.

I was both surprised and confused by her comments. While my folks were grilling in the backyard, her mother was doing the wash and vacuuming the living room. Somehow, my parents Sunday seemed more restful than her mothers Sunday. And so I pointed that out to her.

Later, during the week, she told me that she had shared my remarks with her mother. Her mother commented that I just didn’t understand.  I guess I still don’t.