It is tempting to simply use the 'delete' key to eliminate my last post; however, that seems like a cop out because my hurt and my anger are real. And yet, I feel that my post fell short. And so this is an attempt to fill that gap.
The They Might Be Giants song does express my hurt and anger. What I did not say, and really feel I ought, is that I do not need to - nor do I choose to - act out of my hurt and anger when I encounter a person whose views are quite different from my own.
I am reminded of my days in CPE when I entered a patient's room and, seeing my blue coat (the outward and visible sign of a chaplain at that hospital), she announced, "I am so glad you are here. I wanted to talk to you about the church."
Delighted to have a clear purpose with this patient, I said, "Well, I'm glad I'm here too. What did you want to talk about."
"I am so angry at those homosexuals," she said, "they are destroying my church."
I sat down in the chair next to her bed and calmly replied, "Tell me about your hurt."
And we spent the next 20 minutes doing just that. It was one of the most memorable and most important encounters I had that summer. Sometimes just being present for one another is all God asks of us.
The They Might Be Giants song does express my hurt and anger. What I did not say, and really feel I ought, is that I do not need to - nor do I choose to - act out of my hurt and anger when I encounter a person whose views are quite different from my own.
I am reminded of my days in CPE when I entered a patient's room and, seeing my blue coat (the outward and visible sign of a chaplain at that hospital), she announced, "I am so glad you are here. I wanted to talk to you about the church."
Delighted to have a clear purpose with this patient, I said, "Well, I'm glad I'm here too. What did you want to talk about."
"I am so angry at those homosexuals," she said, "they are destroying my church."
I sat down in the chair next to her bed and calmly replied, "Tell me about your hurt."
And we spent the next 20 minutes doing just that. It was one of the most memorable and most important encounters I had that summer. Sometimes just being present for one another is all God asks of us.
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