FPPC Breadbasket

October 2008

    Bob Hope, in one of his funny movies, looked just like a man who was about to take over a small country in a revolution. There were plots to kill the petty dictator, and of course Hope found himself in the middle of the intrigues because he was mistaken for the man who was the real target.

     In one scene, Hope had just landed at the airport and a taxi driver whispered in his ear to get into the car. Hope ignored the advice and walked away with Dorothy Lamour instead, and when the driver started the car it was blown to smithereens by a bomb. Hope just commented, "Well, he didn't have to take it so hard."

     In the Second Book of Samuel, there is a man who took it pretty hard when his advice was not followed. His name was Ahithophel, who had backed Absalom in a rebellion against his father David. Absalom decided to follow the advice of another counselor instead of the venerable Ahithophel.

     We read in 17:23, "When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and went off home to his own city. And he set his house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the tomb of his father."

     Most of the time, we don't react in such a dramatic fashion when we are ignored or rejected, but we do feel let down. It's sometimes tempting to just walk away and quit trying. Living together in a family, or in a congregation, can be frustrating.

     But something else: Are we aware of what our own words, our decisions, and our atttitudes may be doing to the feelings of another person? Do we sometimes make people feel that they have been dismissed, and that their suggestions are without any value?

     We sometimes wonder why people have withdrawn and left the church for another of God's pastures. Usually, it wasn't because of any irreconcilable disagreement in belief. Iit was because nobody noticed their absence, nobody seemed to know that they were hurting, and nobody seemed to care.

     We can get to feeling pretty good about our church, because it's so friendly and we all get along so well. But we don't notice the person who isn't part of this friendliness, and we blame them for their lack of interest, when all the time we are the ones who have made them feel unwanted--and we didn't even know it.

      Jesus was deeply attracted to such people, and was full of compassion. If we are his disciples, let's learn from him.

                                                         --From Pastor Ernie


*Note
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