June 20, 2009

Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)

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While not holding the undeniably universal gravitas of its gender unequal, tomorrow is Father's Day.

I've got one; and I'm thankful for him.

I'm one; and I've tried to...

Well, if you're one, you know what I mean; though that HC song above really, uh, discloses the truth about all dads.

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PBHO is a dad; though his, uh, uh, uh, policies representing an undetected ideology/theology have often prevented a lot of unborns from ever having one in time.

I think of a letter sent to me about 25 years ago that was framed by my secretary at the time (Betty) and hangs in my study - I'm looking at it right now! - to remind me of her, them, and especially my Father:

Dear Dr. Kopp, it's a little late, but I loved last week's sermon.

My mom almost stood up on the pew and screamed, "Amen!"

Thanks for giving her a heart attack!

George (I'm 12 yrs. old)

P.S. You didn't give her a heart attack, but I'm glad you
spoke against abortion because I'm adopted.

As I've said many times before to the ire of subscribers on the right, I like PBHO on a personal level; even though I cannot detect the leanings of his soul.

But knowing he's a dad and I'm a dad and we've gotta share some of the above/below, I think there's hope; even though he's takin' control of cars, cyberspace, fast food, MDs, CEO's $ - I haven't seen/sensed/experienced such control needs since presiding at my last wedding! Bride: "I don't know what to do!" Me: "Just walk down the aisle, stand at the altar, and we'll sing a hymn!" Her: "Oh, I get it! Aisle. Altar. Hymn!" Just being serious! - and just about anything else to accelerate our slide to statism/socialism.

So I just keep praying every day for him to succeed according to God's intentions as incarnated in Jesus and instructed in Holy Scripture.

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It's important to know who you are.

That finally dawned on me when I first heard these lyrics from Edie Brickell back in 1986:

I'm not aware of too many things.
I know what I know if you what I mean.

What I am is what I am.
Are you what you are or what?

I was still one of the boy wonders of the PCUSA when I heard that; climbing to the top of the ecclesiastical ladder of success only to discover I was leaning against the wrong building with a hole in my heart as big as the open borders of the USA.

I'm not saying I've got it all figured out yet; but I'm prayin' and workin' on it; and tomorrow's message and the second chapter of my forthcoming book on biker culture as metaphor and challenge to the church takes a shot at it.

Psst.

Whenever anyone pretends to have arrived, you know they haven't begun.

Selah.

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I've been called many things over time: boy wonder, mature beyond my years, ___hole, saint, ___, brilliant, stupid, schismatic, jingoist, loyalist, anarchist, traditionalist, revolutionary, and so many other demonizing and lionizing things that I've come to realize I'm not as good as my mommy says nor as bad as my antagonists advertise.

I'm, uh, human; and I've decided not to pretend I'm more than that like, uh, some of my unpeers because He has a way of pulling down our pants when we ride a little too high in the saddle.

So I don't pay too much attention to anybody these days except my family, covenant/accountability buddies, a few staff members and churchgoers who have earned the right to undress me because they know they're not as good as their mommies or they say nor as bad as their antagonists and other churchgoers advertise, and Him.

I like being called dad; though it's a tough assignment and I've failed so many times at it that I don't own a copy of HC's song and only listen to it when it comes on the radio as some kinda predestined moment.

An older son and my youngest sobered me up about it in the last few days.

An older one said all he wants/wanted from me is candor and a man-to-man relationship like I've given to churchgoers for over three decades.

Ouch.

When the power went out for about 12 hours in my neighborhood yesterday as it always does with any atmospheric burp, my youngest and I sat together for hours reading with an occasional conversational interruption; and he said at bedtime, "I love you, dad; and I want us to do more of that even if the power's on."

Yeah.

Happy Father's Day!

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Blessings and Love!