Lessons learned from John the baptist...
John the Baptist was kind of a laughing stock. As the songs go, he walked around in rags, ate bugs, and yelled to whoever would listen, and even some who wouldn't listen, the moral truths of the time they were living in. It made him wildly unpopular...so much so that the queen had her daughter ask the king for his head on a platter. A sad demise for a man who only loved God and tried to get the people to listen to the truth.
A gay activist in Toronto taunts parent's at a Catholic school telling them if they opt their children out of sexual rights "education" they are attacking "Inclusivity" and contributing to a hateful environment. In Libya, our soldiers and our diplomats are being killed. In fact the Middle East is in turmoil. Is there a connection? I am afraid to blog. I have lost my words. I am so tired of fighting my friends, family...my kids for being so different from everyone they know.
It isn't easy going against the popular culture.
Yesterday, I took Mariah to a dentist appointment. Armed with my recently acquired knowledge that fluoride is bad for us, I didn't allow her usual fluoride rinse and talked with the hygienist when she wanted to change my mind. I told her I was reading about this now and trying to educate myself, but nothing I had read suggested to me that it is effective in preventing cavities and further, if there was a chance it might hurt her, I would hold off until the next six month check up and we could revisit the issue. She understood and told me that she loves fluoride and wishes everyone would understand it like her, but she understood my reluctance. Not so Mariah. She berated me on the way home for being so rude. The familiar complaint, "why do we have to be so different." was starting to wear on me. I know that it not unusual for teens to feel this way about their parents, but as a mom to 11 adopted children, largely minority children, in a very white neighborhood, and Catholic to boot, I realize that there is some truth to the complaint.
Why we must persevere...
Sept. 11th this year I forgot...why was there a flag outside the children wanted to know. They did not experience the horror of that morning 11 years ago when our country watched our towers fall down, clung together in horror with friends and family, and talked about where our loved ones were. Were they OK? It is just a story to them. Even the ones who lived it were too young to really remember. While in the business of everyday life, I forgot...But I will never really forget. The horror was brought home anew later that afternoon when I heard that protesters had killed our Libyan diplomat and several marines. Because we had allowed a film to be made that was disrespectful to their Islamic leaders. Really...And we apologized for that movie, thank you Mrs. Clinton. But really...Some things are just wrong. I don't hate people who are gay. I may not agree with them, but to tell our Catholic parents that to not allow their children...their children to hear propaganda for gay marriage is wrong. Our church has some absolutes and it is unchanging. The same truth's that John the Baptist was preaching against are still as wrong today as they were 2000 years ago. God doesn't change his mind with the "times." Sometimes saying it will make me unpopular. And not exposing our children to that activism is not promoting hate. What the gay activist chose to forget is that in most families, we teach love not hate and that includes people who are gay. And Muslims. And telling Muslims that it is not OK to kill people to get because they don't like what we say is not right and is not not promoting an atmosphere of hate but it is necessary. We need to say it is not right. Not saying it doesn't make it any less true. And it makes us look weak. Life is not full of grey areas. There are moral absolutes...
So my children's discomfort at not being like everyone else might cause some discomfort. Hey, getting un-friended on facebook is uncomfortable, too. But, unlike John the Baptist, who told it like it is, I probably won't lose my actual head. I hope he is smiling down on me right now, in heaven, whole and basking in glory with Jesus as a good and faithful servant. I persevere so that I might one day be able to join them.
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