From Where I Stand

by Deacon Bill

I have said in the past, “Believing in God, God’s Son and the Holy Spirit has given me perfect freedom!”

I think of that freedom when I look at the American Episcopal Church! I firmly believe that the AEC allows each and every person the same right of freedom!

Freedom to become the best you can be, grow the most in God’s sight, and move at will within the AEC’s structure!

Yet I don’t think anyone has the right to say whatever comes to mind! I mean for instance: Yelling FIRE in a crowded theater!

There have been many times in my life I wish I could take back words I spoke to another person: words spoken in anger, ignorance or just plain revenge or even stupidity!

Over the years I was known in certain circles as a hothead! Speak before you think Bill. That is the best way to make enemies or create divisions. I was good at that, still am. That is why I try to write things down and edit them before I speak to a person or group!

I sometimes remind myself I sound like old Jonah from the Bible! Now there was a character! As the story goes; God heard the people of Nineveh were trashing God & each other. They were heading down the wrong road so God called upon his servant Jonah and told him to travel to this “sin city” and tell them to straighten up their act!

Jonah didn’t want to go, mostly, because he felt God was wrong in his evaluation so he booked passage on the quickest boat to Tarshish to get away from God. God just put a few things in his way like a storm big enough to sink the boat.

Sailors being whom they were at the time thought someone was a ‘bad omen’! Jonah agreed and told them to throw him in the sea. Which the ship's crew did only to have him swallowed by a large fish. Boy, wouldn’t you like to have had that fish on a rod and reel for just a little while?

Well Jonah must have tasted bad, the fish spit him out, God again told Jonah to go and he did. Not too happy but he went! And he told the people what he was supposed to say. And don’t you know, the people listened, changing their ways and all was well! Right? Wrong!

Jonah was still angry because he KNEW God to be a benevolent God and when God relented, Jonah said something like “I told you so!” then went out of the city and sat in a cardboard box and sulked! He was really mad!

God tried to make amends by seeing to Jonah’s comfort but Jonah was having none of it. Finally God made the point Jonah’s comfort was not as important as all the people in Nineveh who were facing death.

You know, the story ends with the reader never knowing whether Jonah got over his mad with God or not.

The lessons behind this story? Well, there are many but a few of the major learning’s could be:

1. Doing God’s will takes precedent over personal freedom!
2. Look into your heart to find the feelings driving choice! Don’t be a smart___ with God!
3. When God calls you to service, don’t run away or go live in a cardboard box! God knows where you live!
4. God always has the capacity to love, to forgive and to care for anyone who turns their life around
5. If you see a fish big enough to eat you, run; don’t walk, away from the water!

Deacon Bill