Something interesting happened Wednesday morning. While out running in Lakeside, I stopped on the dock for a few moments to take in the beauty of the sunrise. Two men approached me and we greeted each other and admired this amazing view and a nearby great blue heron together. They were brothers enjoying a special visit to this town, which held many happy childhood memories. The older brother was a retired Army chaplain and the other a missionary who had served many years in the Philippines.
They asked what I did for work, and I explained that I was an author, speaker, EFT coach and non-denominational minister who had been raised in the teachings of the Methodist Church. I commented that many of the people I work with and do weddings for are those who do not feel comfortable in the traditional church due to harsh judgments they have endured from “religious people”. I then admitted that a few too many Christians in recent years had felt it was their duty to tell me that I was going to hell for my work with energy, and how those words were so painful to my soul. I also expressed my concerns about women’s exclusion from church leadership over many generations and the need for greater feminine energy within the modern church. As these words escaped my lips, I feared that I had said too much. Maybe these guys were the same sort of Christians who felt the need to judge, condemn and convert me to too?
Fortunately the subject changed. The brothers mentioned that they were familiar with my book, having seen it when they recently stopped in at Idlewyld Bed and Breakfast. We talked a bit about women’s roles in the modern church and in missionary work. They said they had seen some brilliant women making strides in leadership. I hoped they were right.
We parted and I finished my run.
Later that morning, as I walked with my friends from breakfast at Idlewyld to the Fountain Inn for our watercolor painting workshop, I happened to run into the brothers again. I quickly introduced my friends and explained we needed to get to our workshop. One of the brothers asked if he might talk with me a minute, and I suddenly braced for the “preaching” that I feared would be coming next. My friends went ahead and I walked more slowly to listen.
What came next was completely unexpected. He looked into my eyes and softly said, “On behalf of all of the Christians who have judged you and told you that you would go to hell, I sincerely apologize. I hope you accept this apology and have it in your heart to forgive them.” He didn’t try to convert me or judge me! He made me aware that I had the power to forgive and be free.
Today I am still marveling that this kind Christian person went out of his way to apologize for something he didn’t even do. God works in mysterious ways and gives each of us opportunities to learn and grow. I am grateful for this encounter and the chance to forgive others. I am also encouraged this same week as the Catholic Pope calls for a more merciful and less judgmental church. Unconditional love allows for that sort of thing. I know Jesus, his mother and the Heavenly Father would approve. Amen!
