Conversations with God (via Christine)

I was tidying up after my youngest, who had just completed a huge project on the Egyptian Gods, (who, she tells me, are all inbred), and I stopped to have a look at the other side of the scrap paper she had written on. This is the poem I found:

Speak only in truthfulness. Act only in love
Live the law of love now and forevermore.
Give everything, require nothing.
Avoid the mundane.
Do not accept the unacceptable.
Speak softly, lest someone think you are merely calling for attention.
Speak gently, that all might know of love.
Speak openly, lest anyone think you have something to hide.
Speak candidly, so you cannot be mistaken.
Speak often, so that your word may truly go forth.
Speak respectfully, that no one be dishonoured.
Speak lovingly, that every syllable may heal.
Make of your life a gift. Remember always, you are the gift!
Be a gift to everyone who enters your life, and to everyone whose life you enter.
Be careful not to enter another’s life if you cannot be a gift.
When someone enters your life unexpectedly, look for the gift that person has come to receive from you.
Every person who has ever come to you has come to receive a gift from you. In so doing, he gives a gift to you – the gift of your experiencing and fulfilling who you are.

(Taken from: Conversations with God, an uncommon dialogue)

Smelling the Venom of Christian love! (by Ross)

Standing on my balcony one evening, watching the city lights, I could hear the ruckus and music coming from the gay Mardi-Grass across the park. It was a new event at the time, and I wanted to get closer, to see it for myself, so I moseyed on down stairs, then over to Oxford Street.

I realised there was a lot that could be done as Christians during Mardi grass, however, the event that occurred in Hyde Park, whilst walking home changed my view regarding Christian morals forever.

Noticing a raucous coming from a crowd, I decided to deviate to my right through the trees, to find out what they felt was so important, for all to hear. Getting closer one could not help but notice that these people had flashy vulgar placards held high above their heads. They were a well-known Christian group, with an equally well-known leader, being very busy with his vitriol being blasted into the faces of onlookers with the aid of his hand held loud hailer.

As I read the waving signs with their messages of doom, the leader turned his attention to myself and screamed with a deafening pitch saying, "you are a sinner, you will be going to hell". I replied with, "Yes I know I am, but god loves me and I will not be going to hell." Surprisingly a woman let out a bellow far greater in decibels than the previous amplified verdict. She told me that I was an "abomination in the eyes of God". You could almost smell the venom and hate in her outpouring.

God knows, and I am confident that Dave can testify that I am slow to anger, however, that evening if I had cut-loose, there would have been more than table turning in the temple.

I know how to control my anger. Yet I had to turn and walk away, for fear of ramming that loudhailer where the sun don’t shine.

How dare those people claim knowledge of something as personal as ones sexuality, and proceed to judge one for it.

Although the rage I experienced was not because I was attacked. It was because I believe those inquisitionist’s had not made themselves available to love those who needed love, or freely give support those who are breaking, and gently gather the pieces for those who have broken.

On the contrary, in their ignorance and arrogance, as professed Christians, all they offered was the brutality of their hate.