November 10, 2009

Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)

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Yesterday started out real well.

I spent most of the morning in Ezra and Nehemiah; looking for tips on rebuilding people more than institutions.

A lyric from Don Hecox kept ringing in my ear as I read/exegeted/meditated/re-minted: "You can't judge a book by its cover, but you can tell a tree by its fruit."

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I talked with a member who is struggling with another member who thinks you can hate other members in a Christian kinda way.

I talked with colleagues who are miserable, spouses who are miserable, school teachers who are miserable, students who are miserable, and, uh, some other miserable people.

I opened a Visa bill.

I went home, took Kopper out for a poop, and then sawed limbs for firewood from a tree that we took down, uh, a long time ago.

I didn't like that last thing; or as my dad once said to me, "Son, you think manual labor is the next second baseman for the Yankees."

Starting to think Kopper's poop might be the highlight of my day, I plopped down and turned on the dope box.

The Green Mile was on.

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Stephen King wrote the novel and somebody else who no one else cares about except for a momma somewhere wrote the screenplay.

King comes off as a little twisted every now and then; but, and don't act shocked, so do we every now and then.

Even twisted trees can bear good fruit every now and then with God's help.

It's about a black man with a powerful charisma who is convicted and sentenced to death for raping and murdering two little white girls; and how the lives of his guards are changed forever when they discover he is innocent yet still condemned.

I weep uncontrollably whenever I watch it; especially when the unjustly accused (played by Michael Duncan) absolves Officer Edgecomb (played by Tom Hanks) of culpability for his execution:

Officer - "On the day of my judgment, when I stand before God,
and He asks me why did I kill one of his true miracles, what
am I gonna say? That it was my job?"

Accused - "You tell God the Father it was a kindness you done.
I know you hurtin' and worryin'. I can feel it on you, but you
oughta quit on it now. Because I want it over and done.
I do. I'm tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as
a sparrow in the rain. Tired of not ever having me a buddy
to be with, or tell me where we's coming from or going to,
or why. Mostly I'm tired of people being ugly to each other.
I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world everyday.
There's too much of it. It's like pieces of glass in my head
all the time. Can you understand?"

Yes.

And from that "Mostly..." on, I weep and wail and wish people who say they love Jesus would try just a little harder to love like Jesus to turn it all around.

Take some time and watch it for yourself.

Kathie has included it in the next video.

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Actually, things got better after Kopper's poop and watching the movie.

I had a church board meeting.

We've come a long way as we, uh, cross over into our fifth year.

It was a war zone.

I'm not saying every day is a hot fudge sundae now; but after some of the Lord's pruning through the saints in the spirit of Romans 16:17ff. coupled with my Matthew 10:16 discernments that often feel like pieces of glass in my head, our boards (elders and deacons) along with our staff and 99% of our family of faith get it/Him.

Then I watched the Steelers beat the Broncos.

My family loves the Steelers.

I'm a Giants fan.

I was reminded that life often resembles a roller coaster; and Don's song.

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Blessings and Love!