"Who dares to follow that last act?" Harry asked the recorder and the group, after lunch.
"Let's hear another letter," suggested Donna.
Josh began the one from Debbie and Bill. Bill had been the first to write.
***
Dear Josh, Ev, and everyone,
Sorry we can't be with you today. I know it's going to be great! I can't wait to hear all about it.
You all know we're in California, but an awful lot has happened in a short time, so maybe you don't know all the details. Here they are. First, my pastor gave me an ultimatum, to stop meeting with you folks or to give up my youth group. I didn't want to do either, but I didn't want to give up you folks the most! Then, when Josh decided to leave, and it looked like the group option had disappeared, I got to thinking about staying on as youth pastor, and found that I was really concerned about working for a pastor who seemed so close-minded. With Josh going and Debbie already gone to her folks, I decided that the most important thing for me was to be with her. So, I came down here to Santa Rosa and introduced myself to her parents, and made it plain that I wanted to marry her. I was able to get a job with the same book chain I worked for in Portland (barely enough to live on, but I'm doing some things on the side), we found a place, and got married.
We're with a group of Christians here who we really enjoy. They're a little too "pentecostal" at times (they get carried away with their speaking in tongues - so what's the big deal??). But, unlike some things I've heard about such churches, these people are more than just emotion! They're very well grounded in the Bible, they love (!!!) one another, we've seen people really growing, we've seen physical and emotional healings, and it goes on and on. And to think we're involved because God led us to you and helped us open our eyes and our hearts.
***
"That sounds really good," said Donna. "Lucky them!"
They all agreed. "He goes on," said Josh, and continued reading.
***
Before I give Debbie a turn, I'm supposed to tell about one thing I learned this year about living life as Jesus would. One thing I learned is not to trust anybody! Just kidding, but I still can hardly believe how naive I was, thinking that every Christian would automatically understand and be able to relate to the great things that we were experiencing. That scripture you used to quote, Josh, about being innocent as a dove but wise as a serpent, I've thought a Jot about. Now I try to let the Holy Spirit decide what I share with people, and when.
On to another topic. I guess the big thing I've learned is to do things with love as my motive. The Bible is so confusing to me at times with all the rules, regulations, laws, advice, and directions that I just try to put Jesus' new commandment first - that we love one another - and then ask the Holy Spirit to tell me what that means in each case. I see an awful lot of Christians who seem to pick out a particular scripture that seems to say what they want to hear, and then apply it as if it was the answer to every question. If you don't know what I mean, here's an example I've thought about a lot. People read "thou shalt not kill" and get all indignant about the sanctity of life, and so apply this rule to all abortions. For instance, they take the position that it was wrong to sleep with someone you weren't married to, so for that mistake you, the child, and everyone else involved have to live with the consequences for the rest of your lives. It's cut and dried to them. Yet often those very same people can somehow forget about the "sanctity of life," and gladly help send people off to die in wars, gas chambers, and electric chairs! I don't know, maybe war can be right on occasion (the Holy Spirit would really have to hit me pretty hard before I'd believe that one, but see, I'm open!), but if we can forget the rules when there's absolutely no question about what living and dying mean, why can't we see exceptions in the sperm-egg combination that produces a fetus that hasn't experienced life, and whose soul is still completely in God's hands? I mean, can't we look at it in love, and see what everybody really needs?
Sorry, I didn't mean to get on my soap box. I guess I don't need to tell you that I feel pretty strongly about this! I would like to know what you folks think; we talked about it once, but never really finished. Please tell me if you think I'm off-base.
***
"Sounds like situation ethics to me," said Pete. Evalyn agreed. "I have a little more trouble with this application than the others - not about war or capital punishment, but I still don't really know what to think about abortion. Scripturally, I mean, because I have some very definite personal opinions."
"Somebody else want to finish Bill's part, and then read Debbie's news?" Josh asked.
"I will," Jenny volunteered.
***
Oh, in case the message didn't come across, I can assure you that we're doing just great. Debbie is the best thing that's happened to me since I discovered banana splits (and that is the HIGHEST PRAISE from me!), son Daniel is our heart's delight, and all's well with the world. We miss you. Here's Debbie.
Hi, everybody. I miss you! Daniel says "hi," too. He's my sweetie!
Bill covered a lot of what's been going on. I should say a little bit about what happened between the time I left Portland and Bill arrived here. I came straight to my folks, and confronted them with my pregnancy. They were surprised, but they weren't shocked. As a matter of fact, they were wonderful, talking things out with me, but never giving too much advice or strong-arming
me. They were just very supportive.
I know that at least some of you knew that I was contemplating abortion. (I wasn't very subtle about it, was I?) I think I decided against it before Bill asked me to marry him, but it's funny, it wasn't because I came to the conclusion that abortion was wrong. I mean, I don't believe God is against abortion in all cases. I just came to the conclusion (thank you, Holy Spirit, for lots of guidance!) that it wasn't right for me, this time. But I know that in the future, when Christians are discussing abortion and a lot of other things, I'm going to be on the alert to be sure I'm looking through God's eyes, not just supporting some popular belief.
Why do Christians have so much trouble trusting God for answers? Why are we so worried all the time about being deceived by the Devil? Oh, I know it happens, and that we have to be on the alert, but doesn't "being on the alert" mean trusting and believing that the Holy Spirit will show us the truth? It seems to me that that's the trick to all this.
What else can I tell you? Well, I'm not working right now. (Actually, I'm working very hard, but you know what I mean.) I'm just devoting most of my attention to Bill and Daniel and our home. We do have an excellent midweek Bible study session that I'm learning a lot from - and I'm sharing a lot, too. I've led a couple of discussions, and I'm very proud of myself!
Well, we'll close for now. I'm really anxious to hear all this on tape. It'll be very exciting. I love you VERY, VERY much!
***
''They sound good," Donna commented. "And I'm so glad they had that baby. I really wondered what would happen."
Evalyn agreed. "When she left us, I wouldn't have been surprised at anything. As she said, she didn't hide the fact that she was thinking about abortion."
"And obviously Bill thought a lot about it, too," said Josh. "Not just because of Deb, but as a Christian issue. It's become such a controversial subject in recent years, and the implication is that all real Christians believe that abortion is a sin."
"Is it?" asked Donna.
"Is it a sin? I guess I have to plead 'situation ethics,' again. My personal opinion - for which I can't quote any supporting Bible verses, but which I've run by the Holy Spirit a few times, with good feedback - is that I'd rather see a lot more birth control and a lot fewer abortions. But I feel that, even if God's perfect plan is that every fertilized egg grows to be a happy, healthy boy or girl, there are a lot of other cases in which He will fully honor another outcome."
"Are you talking about extreme cases, like rape or incest?" asked Pete.
"No, I don't think so. If the basic measure is love and a true reaction to what is best for everyone involved, then there could be a lot of individual circumstances that might qualify. I can't do that ahead of time; the Holy Spirit has to do that in each case."
Paul had been pondering something for some time. "I buy this 'situation ethics' concept. I agree that it's exactly what Jesus was trying to get across to His disciples - the idea of perceiving need, rather than killing with rules. But I can imagine a lot of older Christians rebelling at what appears almost to be anarchy, and I can imagine a lot of new Christians looking for something specific to put in the 'right' column and in the 'wrong' column - something concrete for them to hang their beliefs on. Is there nothing that is hard and fast; nothing that we can always be positive that we know the one and only right answer to?"
"Let me try that one," responded Harry. "Yes, I think there are truths that are always truths, no matter how you turn them around. I'm tempted to use killing in war as an example - I don't think there's been any war in New Testament times that God really sanctioned, where all non-war options had been fully tried and where one sides's motives were so pure that they were clearly the hand of God at work. Killing in war seems to me to be usurping God's role as judge. And, as I said, I don't know of any nation or government qualified to cast the first stone."
"What about Nazi Germany?" asked Pete.
Harry shook his head. "I guess I think it was right that we got involved, under the circumstances, but I still think that the world failed the test of all non-war options being implemented first. I keep remembering the scripture that starts 'if My people who are called by My name shall humble themselves and seek My face.' I think Christians settled for God's second best in that case. Of course, I know that many Christians will violently disagree with me on this whole topic. Am I right, and are they wrong? This one doesn't seem like 'situation ethics' to me, but in that case some of us are clearly wrong in what we believe."
"But isn't the answer still with the Holy Spirit?" Evalyn posed the question. “Many Christians aren't getting their beliefs from the Holy Spirit, or even from the Bible. They're getting them from their denomination, or their pastor, or from the ‘moral majority’ types, or some television evangelist. Far be it for me to judge who's dealing with the Holy Spirit and who isn't, but I don't think we need to take ‘party line’ Christian thought seriously in this case. I think the only ones who have a right to feel they might know God's will on any subject are those who have sincerely and specifically asked for God's guidance on those subjects. As for the question of whether there are any eternal 'rights' and 'wrongs' that fall out of the realm of ‘situation ethics,' I agree with Harry that there must be. But I don't know how we know what they are. We'd have to take a poll of all Christians through time who sincerely have asked for God's answer, and then pick out those ‘truths’ about which everybody was given the same answer."
"So the answer is," said Paul, "That we look at all things in love, ask the Holy Spirit for advice, and then trust that He knows the answer and is giving it to us. Right?"
"It's the best we can do," Harry agreed.
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