#1924 Ground Fog Over Utopia

#1924

Ground Fog Over Utopia

 For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.  (Psalm 49:17)

In a court trial, jurors like for a witness to look straight at them.  Advertisers, and indeed, most preachers, physicians, powerbrokers, and particularly politicians just think that most people will believe anything...that most people just want to believe anything, whether it makes any sense or not. 

This writer a committed-convinced-concerned Christian, in the church house most of my life.  (I was told that my mother started taking me to Sunday school and church when I was only two weeks old.  My wonderful parents, from two of the state's first families: just hardworking, God-fearing, taxpaying, dirt farmers, raised within two miles of one another, family homes still there, had been brought up in the family church to which all of my relatives, on both sides, were members.  I never fully appreciated the fact that this young couple's first child was so important in the life of that church.)  Even so, with all my sincerity, both in the pew and as a frequent speaker in many pulpits, I always felt that most church attendees were of the mind, that they were just watching a magic show, in which the preacher was going to betray himself with some sleight of hand...that he really did not believe what he was preaching.  After all, is it not just too good to be true?  That the Creator of the world and everything in it, would extend to sinful mankind total forgiveness by the sacrifice of his own son: an absolute free gift: no ambiguity...from just belief in his son, the free gift of eternal life with all the splendors that man can even imagine.  AND, I am looking directly at you, as I have made this statement.  Our promise of Heaven, with its liberty from all earthly problems, is almost as good as the recently advertised Publishers Clearing House "$5000 a week, each and every week, as long as you live."  CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE SUCH A PROMISE, OTHER THAN IN GOD'S HOLY WORD?  The five thousand a week continues on forever, to your descendents. 

This writer, many years a church member, having spoken in more pulpits than many preachers, like most of you, has a real hunger and thirst for honesty.  We like to see genuineness in anyone, whether someone selling us a car or a pair of shoes.  I have such a concept-even demand for honesty with those at the schoolhouse, courthouse, and certainly the church house.  Foremost in a schoolteacher's mind, first grade or graduate school, should be the desire that the student learn.  Foremost in the doctor's mind, whether prescribing eyeglasses or the most intricate cranial exploration, the desire to help and "do no harm".  I am sickened by pastors who want to put on a production in the church house: walking onto the platform in the grandeur of their robes after the first hymn starts.  Dr. Gene Scott, University Cathedral, California, actually appeared on stage, after a curtain was pulled.  If I were a pastor, I would be out in the sanctuary as people came in to worship God, which I honor, thanking them for coming to church, showing my concern for them, instead of just expecting them to allow me to impress them with my brilliance and judgment of them from the pulpit. 

Most young people, raised in churchgoing homes, when they leave the umbrella of parental supervision...having good minds-able to evaluate "values", leave the church: most never to return.  The youngest children recognize hypocrisy.  From the energies and actions of most "so-called" professionals, I find that most young people have the same feeling as Ferdinand Magellan, who more or less proved that the Earth was round: perhaps, just maybe, Magellan was wrong, the Earth really is flat...opinion molders, powerbrokers, political types are just expecting we mere mortals to believe that the Earth is round, even though, with our own eyes, we can see the Sun, the Moon reflected from it and everything else  which God has provided for his own, which he chose for his own, in the council chamber of eternity, before the Earth was even formed. He knew my name.  And, in spite of everything, has not forgotten me.  And, even though I have failed him many times, he has never failed me.  I AM LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THE JEWELRY, DO YOU BELIEVE ME?  When I watched the Jews at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem (the large stones-foundation of Solomon's Temple), when I heard them cry: I knew their faith was real. 

I knew one lady, never married, had sat in the same pew at the Baptist church for seventy-two years, since she was a girl, had worked at the same store, selling cloth, my mother and noone else suspected her of anything, she was a valuable employee, trusted because she was trust worthy.  She measured the cloth from her nose to her stretched out arm, everyone knew she could measure a yard of cloth, would tell you the truth about it.  In grad school, Memphis, great Baptist church, Mrs., Garrett and her daughter, Louise, enjoyed the company of young men, oh, such a cook.  AND, she would invite me and others to her house for lunch.  (I think she enjoyed seeing us eat, as well as enjoying male company.)  She worked at a large store there called Lowenstein's, had sold women's clothing for years.  It was time for her to retire, the owners said, you just continue to come here, sit around and visit, your presence is worth every dime we pay you, to all of our longtime customers.  When land fog is erased by cleansing sunlight, the utopia underneath is there because of integrity...not a cheap commodity. 

Since I have not made enough of my church friends mad, I will go a little further.  Every radio and television church program, these days, it is a matter of money.  The latest ploy, "We have a large donor who will double anything you send...so if you send $10, it will be $20."  I am not trying to impress anyone, God knows my heart, I have always given more than I spend, except on real estate, securities, etc.  Most of my gifts have been $100k, many of them.  One college president said, "We will use it as an incentive to double other gifts,"  These are my exact words to him, "If anyone wants to give to your school, give as I have given as unto God...let them live as frugally as I live in order to give.  Let them sacrifice-pray for blessings.  Depending on being blessed themselves, as I have been blessed.  At a seminar one time, one old doctor (Dr. Day), said, "With a difficult patient I will pray."  Some of those young-smart-conniving Jewish boys around me began to snicker.  The poet said, "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of."