Bad News, Good News

This morning on NPR, I heard something that made my stomach turn and my heart break. Rev. Fred Phelps, a Christian minister from the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas pickets military funerals, protesting homosexuality in the military. He advertises these protests, interrupting the expression of mourning these families need with his hateful messages of damnation and judgement. I do not endorse such behavior towards anyone, but the kicker is, he does this at any military funeral he can -- regardless of the sexual orientation of the soldier.

Here's a link to an article (and broadcast) about the father of one soldier who has sued Rev. Phelps for emotional distress during the last few moments he had with his son. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130357711
While I agree that Rev. Phelps has the first amendment right to speak, I am saddened by the way he has chosen to display that message.

Christians are human. We do great things and we also make mistakes. However, the Christian community has recently been represented by extremists who choose to preach a message filled with fear, hate and judgment over the hope, love and grace that I believe is really expressed in the Gospel. I am offended by this. As a human being and as a Christian, I am appalled that adults -- and especially adults who connect themselves to Christ's teachings -- willingly treat each other with such enmity and fear. In response, I find I must compare what I see my fellow Christians do with what I read in the Bible. (This decision, of course, necessitates self-reflection, too.) Below, I've placed three readings from the Gospels that I think correspond to the NPR broadcast and make me consider my own role in this world.

The following story is found in John 8:
"At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin.""

Matthew 5:4
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

From John chapter 11:
"When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied.

Jesus wept."