Make Time for Sanity

I woke up Friday morning and rushed to the television. I watched as the weather man predicted heavy rainfall and massive winds. My heart sank. Citywide Night of Worship was that afternoon. I started down the list of contacts on my phone and called all the volunteers, band members, and pastors that I could think of to tell them that we would have to postpone the event. After deciding on a new date and clearing it with the city, I went down to the park to make sure no one was standing around expecting an event. I ran into Pastor Larry from Central United Methodist church and started to explain the circumstances. While talking to him a family came up to me and introduced themselves. There was a lady in her early thirties that had brown hair and was shorter and two older folks that were dressed very nicely that I assumed were her parents. They started to ask questions about the event and inquire the reason behind holding it. I explained that God had put it on my heart and others to unite the body of Colorado Springs to reach out to the homeless community. We would be eating together, laughing together, sharing stories, and ultimately becoming a family. The lady in her thirties started to nod her head back and forth. She leaned in close and whispered to me, “This is a great evil. You need to stop.”

They proceeded to explain how it is the Church’s job to weed through the sinners and the righteous and separate them, how sinners should not be allowed in the church, how forgiveness is not the message of the gospel, and how God had told her in a vision that Citywide was a great evil and she had to stop it. I was speechless. Pastor Larry started to explain that what she was saying wasn’t scriptural but they talked over him and wouldn’t let him speak. She started explaining how there are other spirits that pretend to be God and how they are really evil spirits that aim to deceive people. She asked me, “Do you believe that?”

I answered, “I’m starting to believe you!” I noticed her mother started to look all around me and start whispering in tongues as if she were seeing demons flying around me. She told me that I was hearing evil spirits not God and that I should stop Citywide Night of Worship. I was flabbergasted. Where do I start? “Can I tell you a story?” I asked.

“I suppose.”

“Once upon a time there was a woman caught cheating on her husband. She was brought before Jesus and the Pharisees told him that according to the Law of Moses she should be put to death for her sin. Jesus looked at the Pharisees and told that the one without sin must throw the first stone—“

They butted in and exclaimed, “That was Jesus, not us. We aren’t supposed to do that!” I was flabbergasted. That is the opposite of what the Bible says. After talking to them for nearly an hour, they went home.

I walked away bewildered and discouraged. I had to talk to someone sane. I went over to a group of homeless folks sitting in the park. One man came up to me and asked if I could give him a ride to Antlers Park. He lost some of his toes last winter to frost bite and it’s hard for him to walk long distances. I led him to my car and we started to drive. Then he opened the conversation, “what does God have against me?!”

To be continued…