On the wall in our dining room we have prints of the Doyle Penrose paintings “None Shall Make them Afraid” and “The Presence in the Midst.” The Native Americans in the picture have weapons—tomahawk and bow with arrow. Who are the people today that would give us an adrenalin rush if they walked through the door at one of our Quaker gatherings? I wonder what would happen at my church if a group of Muslims walked in during a service and began preaching about our sins as if we were infidels. Or what would the ushers do if some meth addicts came to take the offering? Corporately or personally it would be great to surprise an enemy (or potential enemy) by responding with love instead of defensiveness. As I look inside myself, the picture is not nearly as clear as it is on my dining room wall.
Monday, May 21, 2007
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