The Narrow Gate: Day 800 - Sometimes You Can't Please Anyone

The Narrow Gate

Welcome to the continuation of my blog, post-seminary. Ministry and evangelism have brought me back home to Chattanooga. I welcome your company on my journey.

The original blog, Down In Mississippi, shared stories from 2008 and 2009 of the hope and determination of people in the face of disaster wrought by the hurricanes Rita and Katrina in 2005, of work done primarily by volunteers from churches across America and with financial support of many aid agencies and private donations and the Church. My Mississippi posts really ended with the post of August 16, 2009. Much work, especially for the neediest, remained undone after the denominational church pulled out. Such is the nature of institutions. The world still needs your hands for a hand up. I commend to you my seven stories, Down in Mississippi I -VII, at the bottom of this page and the blog posts. They describe an experience of grace.

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Day 800 - Sometimes You Can't Please Anyone

I found this somewhat humorous but sad post overlooked in my drafts folder. The post day (that I call the day of composition) is a guess, since it is certainly from the days of early to mid-2015. It's relevant today, perhaps more so, than then. The identity of persons and organizations aren't relevant. They probably know who they are, and in their own way are inside the Christian fold. What is relevant is the commonly experienced predicament of being pilloried for calling for compassion in these days of polarization where the line between Christianity and politics is so blurred by blind guides. (2017/05/06)

Sometimes life suggests I must be standing in the middle of the theological road, regardless of of my own self-image of politics and creed.

Someone, a member of a congregation formerly connected to me, who has been a fb "friend" for several years and stands just to the left of Ayn Rand (I think), just unfriended me because I suggested trying to give a dose of compassion to people in need (remember, "Feed my sheep"?), rather than constantly turning one's face from the disadvantaged, cynically observing (and missing the irony of Jesus) that they will always be with us and are a bother.

A few months ago another fb "friend," who is connected through local pastoral activities and stands somewhere barely to the right of Valerie Solanas (I think), just unfriended me for suggesting dealing with one's personal sin by applying Christian peace and justice on an individual and collaborative level was far more important to remedying social injustice than than obsessing with political advocacy and proclaiming collective guilt to stopped ears, blind eyes and closed minds (remember, "Render to Caesar...) that only encourages hostility.

I wonder if there is a connection between the two?

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Gates

The gate pervades the Good News. Peter entered the temple gate after the Jesus’ arrest to deny him. Poor Lazarus lay at the rich man's gate, longing for the crumb's from the table, while dogs licked his sores. The blind, lame and paralyzed lay at the Sheep Gate at the Jerusalem temple waiting at the pool with five porticoes for healing water. Jesus warned of the easy road and wide gate to material ease and spiritual destruction and calls us to the hard road and narrow gate to the waters of life.

necessary disclaimer

This blog is created solely to communicate to my brothers and sisters how one person sees adversity bringing out the greater character of humanity. It's early part relating connection to the volunteer relief effort in Mississippi after Katrina and later work with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Program and the Presbyterian Church(USA) is solely through my participation in them; this blog does not carry any sponsorship from these fine organizations or purport to speak for them. All original content is that of the writer who holds the copyright to all original writings and art or other works (See Creative Commons License above). Every effort is made to identify content from other sources which have been obtained from open internet sources. It's more recent content contains sermons and lessons used in preaching and teaching. The url to scripture are obtained via http://bible.oremus.org unless otherwise indicated.

Texts quoted from oremus bible viewer are from "New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved." and "New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved."