Pat Robertson

So here goes ... I wasn't going to say anything about this current flap. But now I think I will. I clicked through my own link. I don't know if any of you use "My High School English Teacher." But if you've ever clicked through that, you've seen that it's an editorial cartoon site. For Jeff Danziger. Now he's nationally known. But a **number** of years ago he was a high school english teacher and I took Expository Writing from him. As did every college bound senior in my high school. Before he taught high school he was in the Viet Nam War as a translator. He shouldn't have been. It scarred him. Badly. I don't think he had any choice in the matter. Warning: He's fairly leftward leaning ... so if that's going to bother you, don't go there. He's also fairly caustic, so if that might bother you, don't go there. He's also an atheist, or perhaps to be fair an agnostic. I really don't know his religious beliefs ... I just know he doesn't have a lot of time for religion.

Here is the cartoon he posted last night:
You know ... there are so many ways to take that. I know better than to take it personally. And I'm actually relieved to see someone finally say it out loud. But in general, the things that Pat Robertson advocates have as much to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ as pigs do with flying. Now I have no idea as to where Pat stands in terms of his own faith, belief, "salvation", etc. What I mean to say, is that the things he speaks of publicly have nothing to do with the things of Jesus, or God or the Holy Spirit as we know about them from God's Book, or the rest of God's people who have spoken to us down through the ages. I really do wish he'd keep quiet. Or as Jim Wallis (from Sojourners) has called for him to do, that he'd retire. You can read that article here, but you have to register first and they're very good ... they won't bother you, or sell your name, or anything.

What gives me hope and comfort during all of this is the firm knowledge that there have always been Pat Robertsons around trying their best to give Jesus a black eye (whether they knew it or not) and a bad name. They have not succeeded. Jesus is still the lynchpin of history. We still mark His birth as the before and after. Whether we acknowledge it or not. It is His birth that is the crucible, the Common Era, the Anno Domini. We don't even know the names of all the other Pat Robertsons and future generations won't know his.

The other thing I wonder about is how most of the Muslim community must feel. After all, they have faced this for 4 years now. Being made to look like crazy people by a few crazy men saying crazy things that have nothing whatsoever to do with the things that they really believe.

I think that in the end, God is able to take care of Himself. His Light will continue to shine through the works of the people who genuinely love him and are doing His work, being His body here on earth. Those are the people who are not concerned with garnering the spotlight ... they are the people who take Jesus words seriously about bringing water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, and caring for the least people in their communities. Look around you for those people and there you will find Jesus working still whether or not they claim Him.