Dear Pastor,
i am very saddened to see how you spend so much of your time and energy trying to please M-- X-----, M-- Y-----, and M-- Z-----. Shame on you, seeking money and vanity. You should bee helping the sick and the poor. Shame on you!!
Shame on you!!
Dear Unsigned,
I am saddened this morning. I'm not saddened by what you think of my choice of company. I'm not saddened that you think my associations have to do with money and vanity - though I don't deny that I am as subject to these temptations as any other person. I'm not saddened that you think I don't care for the sick and the poor, though I disagree with your opinion. No, these are not the reasons I'm saddened and, frankly, very pissed off this morning.
Why, then, am I saddened and very pissed off? Because you're a coward. You left this note in the door at the church, with no name attached, for someone else to find, read, place in my box and wonder just who you are and what I'm doing to piss you off. Now you've left me with two options. One, I can try to ignore this piece of unsigned character assasination, though it cut me to the bone the moment I read it. Two, I can waste my time thinking about whether or not you're right, when deep down inside I know you're not, and thereby spend the time I COULD be caring for the sick and poor fretting about your opinion of me.
I won't do that. I would have welcomed the chance to speak with you openly about the ways I've disappointed you. I would have gladly sat and shared coffee with you as you told me how I've let you down. You might even be right, though I will say in my defense that I enjoy the company of X, Y, and Z and will continue to be friends with them regardless of your opinion. But we could have at least discussed the issue. But you chose the coward's road, walking in darkness when we could have shared the light of conversation about these things.
Your letter has disappeared into my correspondence file. There it will remain, until someone else takes a shot at me to remind me that sin holds us all in bondage, and I'm sure that day will come. Whatever wounds have kept you in hiding, please know that I welcome the opportunity to ask God to heal them, but I don't work in secret, and neither does God. The light of day is the best cure for wounds such as these. You have my prayers.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Scott
Ah, the ubiquitous anonymous note. I haven't received one for a while, but senior pastor still seems to get them on a biweekly basis. Water off a duck's back, old friend, as hard as it is to actually put that into practice.
ReplyDeleteWhat you could do, though, is start pasting those little notes to the front of the lectern - or better yet, the cross behind the altar. But then this would be self-serving in its own end as well - but still funny as hell!
I've picked up a habit from my Hebrew professor at Luther of posting funny cartoons & stuff to my office door. Maybe this letter should join them?
ReplyDeleteYou know how it is - sin cannot bear the light of day. "But the people chose to walk in darkness rather than submit themselves to the light." Pretty much sums it up, far as I can tell.
Thanks for the thoughts.
Scott