A great combination of words

I just finished reading "Truck: A love story" by Michael Perry. It is a great read about a man and his journey through the trials and delights of rehabilitating a 1951 International Harvester L-120 (or -122 depending on your model knowledge) pickup. However, the book is about much more. It is about his journey through love and life for that year. He is a delightfully sentimental man - I mean that in the very best of terms as I share his love of the simple and nuanced - taken by the love of a good woman, his family and friends, and an old truck. It is a good read. We don't agree on all aspects of life, but I certainly appreciate his use of the English language to portray his time.

I write all of that to get to just a couple of items I want to share with you from the book. The first is from early in the journey, March to be exact, when he is in his basement preparing for his spring garden while listening to NPR. The radio personality was recapping the trouble in Rwanda. Michael was happy with his sweet little spot, but "humbled by the fact that my gratitude alleviates no one's misery." Wow. I know he is not saying to be unhappy in my blessings, but to be mindful that I am, in fact, blessed. It is something I try to keep in mind but it is good to be reminded from time to time. I read that sentence and immediately dog earred the page.

Later in the book, in "the new year," the author has met a woman, fallen in love, and is on the verge of marriage. After some pre-marital counselling, he is thinking of an essay he read and has this to say about what he thinks in regards to a line in the essay, "making me all the more grateful that (Tracy) has agreed to walk beside me of her own free will, despite the unknown. That when the day comes for one of us to release the other we will have shared in this life what we dared hope we might." Now, as you will notice, I substituted my wife's name in that quote. Michael's wife's name is Anneliese, but I thought it was a wonderful sentiment and I wanted to personalize it. I hope he doesn't mind.

Yelling works

So, as you can plainly see, I am well on my to making a large pile of cash by updating my blog frequently and driving lots-o-traffic this way!

I was flipping channels the other night and rolled past a clip that made me press the channel down button a few times really quickly to see if I saw what I thought I really saw (fun sentence). When I reached my channel of desire, I saw a guy standing outside of a Motley Crue concert yelling at everyone going in to the show. He was yelling, "God hates Motley Crue. God hates people who go to Motley Crue concerts." What? Why? Then, just to make sure everything is even-handed, they showed a clip of one of his fellow shouters explaining something to the effect of the concert goers shouldn't feel singled out because they also do this at John Mayer concerts and others. Oh, good. I thought is was just the Crue listeners God hates. I am so glad he cleared that up for us.

I am going to let you in on a little secret: God does not hate Motley Crue, John Mayer, any other singer or listener. What he hates is sin. My sin, your sin, everyone's sin. No one is above this or singled out.

That got me to thinking again about these blog posts I wanted to write about how Christians are, many times, perceived: haters, not lovers.

I see video clips of protesters outside of abortion clinics and I shutter at the image portrayed. God fearing people shouting at scared, pregnant women as they enter a clinic to do something so emotionally tough. The mothers are probably scared to death. However, inside they find love and caring and acceptance. They have "sanctuary". Funny isn't it? The run through a bunch of Jesus freaks to find calm and safety. Maybe some reading this will find my use of the term "Jesus freaks" a little troubling here, but I think that the people outside those clinics truly believe they are doing what God wants them to do. I just think somewhere along the way, something went off course.

You see, we are not to be haters. We are to LOVE! The scared women walking into that clinic need to find peace. They need to feel secure. That baby inside of them scares the crap out of them. They don't know how they could possibly have that baby. While I have no first hand knowledge of this, I would bet a dime to a dollar most of them are not taking that action because they can't be bothered by a baby. I bet a fly-on-the-wall in one of those counseling sessions would tell you they just don't know how they could raise it alone or afford it or how they could accomplish goals they have set with a baby there or how they could handle the emotions of going full-term, delivering a baby, and giving it to another family to raise.

So, someone patiently, calmly, and lovingly tells them how an abortion is an alternative. Why aren't we patiently, calmly and lovingly telling them about God's love for them and that baby and about the other options they have if they are unable or unwilling to raise that child themselves? Do some really think that shouting, "WHORE", "KILLER" and "SINNER" at some little girl is going to make her stop and think, "Oh, you know, you are right. Nevermind. I will go home now"?

We need to show love. Not lip-service. I need to not just type up some blog full of my thoughts. WE need to go out and show the broken-hearted and scared we care for them. Not superficially, but that we, and more importantly, God truly care for them.

When the Pharisees brought to Jesus the woman in adultery, he didn't yell at her. He didn't call her a whore. He didn't shame her. He, after addressing her accusers, simply showed her love and compassion. For all we know, due to the lack of birth control back then, she may have even been pregnant. Man, I want to be like that. Let's all be like that.