Well, now you've done it.

It's really takes a lot to get me angry.
I mean a LOT.
I have been complimented on my mild manner demeanor. The calm in the middle of the storm.
But now I'm ticked.
I was reading something in the local paper's web site, a soldier who had been killed in Iraq was going to be laid to rest.
And a Kansas based Baptist "church" was going to protest at the funeral.
Look, I know that they have the right to protest, we all do as Americans.
But at a funeral?!?
Maybe your not happy with the country, our president, or the war.
Fine, I'm sure many people aren't happy either.
And if you want to protest, fine, do it at your church, your town square, heck do it at the White House if you want.
But can we at least give this American man, someone who died for something bigger than himself, a peaceful and respectful funeral?
Is that to much to ask?
Now that makes me mad enough, but wait there's more.
This "church" says that these soldiers are dying because "God is punishing them for the sins of Americans".
Please, please, please, can we stop trying to use God to move our agendas?
And EVERYBODY'S doing it.
From Pat Robertson to these folks, everybody just knows exactly what God's thinking, what He is doing and what He is going to do. And wow, wouldn't you know it, God thinks just like we do!
And if you know so much about God, then you know that if God was REALLY angry, He wouldn't mess around. We'd all be dead.
Is God happy with America? Kiddies God can't be happy looking at the WORLD, not just America.
And if you READ your Bibles, you would find that these things are going to happen, earthquakes,
wars, etc..
These things shouldn't shock you.
Maybe what ticks me the most is the attitude that everybody else is sinning, but were not. Punish America, but since I'm perfect, give me all the blessings. I deserve it.
If I had five minutes with the "pastor" of this "church", I would calmly ask him a simple question. How is disturbing the funeral of a fellow human being, ministry? How about offering support to the family, maybe you don't agree with the cause he died for, but how about loving the hurting people anyway?
Let's see there was this guy, Jesus was His name I think, yeah, and He, like, loved people even though He didn't always like what the people did.
What a concept.
And guess what, when Jesus did love these people, they like, followed Him.
Wow.
The real tragedy in all of this is it just makes it that much harder to reach the lost, because nobody wants to be a part of a group that says there all about love, but doesn't show it.
The Christian in me knows I have to forgive these people, and I do. The human inside me has a hard time forgiving people who protest a funeral for someone who protects the very freedom that allows them to protest.
In fact the human part of me thinks that if they hate this country that much, there is a plane leaving this country every minute or two. If they think they can do better somewhere else, they are free to leave.
And when I hear things like, God is punishing us for this or that, I would remind people of what Job found out when he finally got around to asking God why.
In a nutshell God said, I'm a whole lot smarter than you, and I've got things under control.
That's good enough for me.
So instead of pointing fingers at everybody else for what they are doing wrong, how about doing what Jesus told us to do.
Minister to His creation, in a kind and loving way.
You remember don't you?
And do you know what?
If we would show a little bit of love to these people, they might just want to be like us.
Do we dare?