Pastor Tim,
Wish you had harped a bit on the possible dire consequences of anyone removing an airbag just for gratification of "self-pleasurings".
I'm unsubscribing from this Digest now, by the way, because you have failed to show the compassion incumbent on a true pastor of the flock.
Or maybe, to you (and many other insensitive Americans like you) only issues that directly impact the USA are worthy of concern...in which case I, an African in Africa, should expect nothing but generalised "soul-less" platitudes from you in the event of our experiencing any disasters...since you've remained (at least in your publications to date!) impervious even to the terror of 7/7 London.
Remain blessed, and may God lead you aright.
Shalom!!!
My Reply:
Dear Tony,
First of all, I am not an American. I am Canadian. So whatever thorn you have stuck in your backside about Americans you can pull out yourself as obviously you’ve got some issues that have nothing to do with me. Whatever they are, I suggest your reevaluate what moved you to write me since I doubt it was God because He knows I am Canadian.
So far as your uniformed judgments about me as a pastor goes, I have not mentioned what happened in London on 7/7 because my primary responsibilities in life are to be a husband to my wife, a father to my three teenage children, and a pastor to the physical church and community I am at here in Victoria, British Columbia. My activities on the web are a personal side passion featuring mostly humor pages plus some ministry resources. I put audio recordings of my sermons online each week and I provide a number of sites where other people can put their ministry writings online for other people to read. So, excuse me if I don’t spend my every waking moment trying to write about everything that happens in the world so I can demonstrate to people on every continent that I have “the compassion incumbent on a true pastor of the flock”.
Tony, you missed the point of my devotional – it wasn’t about airbags in cars and the danger of removing them. It was about the foolishness of choosing entertainment over spiritual safety. That applies to at least 6 of the seven continents (I’m not sure if there is entertainment in Antarctica).
You seem like a very articulate and educated person. If you have something to say in the world that is not being said by others, why don’t you say it instead of crying boo hoo about people who aren’t saying it for you? As it is right now, your assumptive and misguided e-mail to me changed nothing in the USA, Canada, or Africa.
If you can change your attitude and write something positive and uplifting that can make a difference for Christ in the world, send it to me and I’ll use it on one of my sites.
God bless,
Pastor Tim
Tony replied:
Aha! Dear Pastor Tim, Aha!! We do get passionate about things that get under our skin, now don't we? Thanks for making out the time to answer my "uninformed" missive to such an obviously "nice and concerned missionary of the Word and family values" as you are letting me know you to be, sir. But, you see, that's the whole issue of Christ's work isn't it? To stimulate positive action, pro-action and/or reaction from otherwise "compartmentalised and correct" leaders and people, especially self-righteous opinion-moulders (remember some very correct religious leaders called pharisees in our Lord's days on earth?). Honestly, my dear Pastor Tim, would you have not said something if the bombs had blown in Canada....and, by the way, I love the USA and her citizens nearly to an obscene level, believe me...I truly have got nothing against those much-slandered folks...but I will ever have a lot to grouch about God's ministers and church who may not allow themselves the latitude of true holistic and empathetic compassion for His sorrowing children and creatures of all races, creeds, colours or locales (Isaiah 58:3-12)---hey, do you remember the "christian ministers" (the reverend gentlemen that had their local flocks and families to concentrate all their love and ministry upon!) who kept blessing Hitler and his aryan-centrism even up until his last days? Nice fellas those I'm sure they were...just didn't have time for those alien jews and their little problems, I'm sure...to paraphrase Shakespeare's M. Anthony, "honourable men were they all", I know you'll agree. We can easily blinker our eyes to see only the roses and blue skies ("ours is but to lead the people to Christ, let them figure out the issues of hunger, death, dirt, and depravity of life---that's not OUR business my dear...and do pass the butter, thank you..." and all that bunkum!), but life has a funny way of creeping up on us all with all its nastiness, often when we least expect it, will we nill we, now doesn't it? I would have believed that it is your duty to never forget that sir, but I stand corrected after your "bully-pulpit" sermonising. Thanks for your kind offer of publishing me on your site(s), but I beg to decline, unless you can start with this response to you...will you be a true humble leader, in the mould of Christ, and publish this?!...If not, let's keep our interaction on the secular (an etymological check on the real meaning of secularity may be necessary here sir) level of my laughing at your humour (you love jokes sir, and I love your kind too) which I really do enjoy as necessary (there really is "a time" for everything) amusement (by the way, have you ever checked out the etymology of the word "amusement"?... to refrain from thinking, or somewhat along those lines, aye?); but I need must reserve my right, nay duty as a Christian, to meditate on the Word, ponder on the realities of the greater world beyond the narrow confines of my present "bed", and try to DO SOMETHING a la Jesus, to make the world a better place. Remain blessed, as you minister the way you know best, Pastor Tim, whilst I pray to God to enlarge your belief- and ministry- vision and mission. Amen. Shalom!!! P.S. Again, thanks for getting a fast response back to me...do you know that in even less time than it took you to email me personally, you could have posted a few words, on any or all of your sites and blogs...empathetic and compassionate words like "let us all pray for all the Lord's hurting children in London and around the world (both Christians and non-christians!), in these trying times".IT IS WELL!
Shalom!!!
My final reply:
So to summarize your response, you don’t want to write yourself but you are content to stay in bed and tell others what they should write (along with giving them dictionary lookup exercises).
I feel sorry for you that you are so full of yourself that you so easily compare people you have never met to the Pharisees and Hitler blessers.
I take back my offer to publish your writings. Although, I have published your letter to me because it is such a prime example of the self-righteous, hypocritical, emotionally manipulative and spiritually abusive feces that stinks up so many churches in the West – and apparently in Africa too.
Pastor Tim