Smokey’s handshake: Passing the peace in Advent

I'm listening to the cautioning words of the Gospel reading for the first Sunday of Advent: "Keep awake!" Smokey sits still next to me. I am surprised, since he's usually getting up and down throughout worship.

He's often the first person to arrive for the 11:00 service, though I have no idea how he gets here. He doesn't talk much. I don't know how old he is, maybe in his fifties. His hair is kind of crazy. His clothing is on the shabby side, and occasionally he will accessorize with a necktie around his head; today he sports a stretchy headband worn across his forehead.

Smokey carries a walking stick; it's nothing polished and fancy, just a solid branch torn from a tree. Sometimes he'll beat the stick against the pew in time with the music. Rather than joining the melody or harmony of the hymns with his voice, he provides percussion.