EFLIUS Day 32: I have rarely in my 65 years felt less alien than I have this last week or so in rural North Carolina. Unlike my Northern, liberal, Brethren, these folks , like me, are people of feeling, passion, not near exclusively of the head and flesh. They have an affection and regard for Jesus, as do I, and as so many of my liberal brethren either do not or pay the most superficial self-serving lip service to. But I am mightily concerned for them and their impact on the world which otherwise could be so positive, because I think they're headed into this kind of exit conversation with Jesus, and I think it's going to go badly for them, and badly for us all: "Jesus, because of the Liberals, because of the government, because of taxes, because people didn't reach out to the churches,... I was unloving to the... I was not courageously loving to... I did not do unto the least of these... The gays, the poor, the blacks, the pregnant mother, the unwanted child, the poor child, the transgendered, the drug dealer, the Muslim, the Arab, the Refugee, the undocumented immigrant, the Palestinian, the liberal, the intellectual Elite , all future creatures including human regarding global warming.... The Liberals made me do it, the government made me do it, taxes make me do it, laws dictated by the cities made me do it, coming for my guns made me do it, their beliefs... Their lack of belief... Their behavior... Their lack of behavior... Made me do it... and instead I sat in Judgment of them. Jesus, as I know him, and what do I know, but as I know and follow him, he didn't give us any excuses. What he gave us was the example of the Good Samaritan. The levite had all the reasons not to stop, and did not stop. The priest had all the reasons not to stop, and did not stop.... to help the wounded enemy who did not reach out. The Samaritan simply saw a neighbor in need and devoted himself to the task. In this story of the Good Samaritan, in every utterance of Jesus, and every example Jesus gave us, I see no place that he gives us any excuses. Love as I have loved. As you do unto the least of these you do unto me, as you do not do unto the least of these you neglect and abuse me. You break my heart. And judgment is mine alone to make. Do unto others all, all, all, all, all that you would have them do unto you. To speak the laughably obvious, I am not God, therefore I know no perfect truth, but I do my best, I pay any price personally, to see and share the truth is I've come to know it. Love the enemy, bless those who persecute you. Love unconditionally. Agape. What I'm saying is not between me and my sisters and brothers in the rural South. Nothing should be between them and me. Everything should be between us and the Creator. But as a brother I am obligated, joyfully so, regardless what the personal cost to Me May be, I am obliged to share what I think I need to share with my sister and or brother. So I do. So I will with my last breath. And yes, I think that the exit conversation between my liberal sisters and brothers will go at least as badly if not more so with Jesus at their end.
