This is a place to come and look into ourselves. Here I take that first cleansing breath of the day and greet the world.
Monday, June 18, 2007,3:18 AM
A simple story.....
Recently one of my Uncles suffered the misfortune of having his dairly barn burn down. Most of the cattle were saved, and ultimately all that was lost was a barn, a tractor, a manure spreader and a couple of cats and some calves.
The insurance company sprung a little suprise clause on him. You don't get a check for the full value of the damages unless you sign a letter saying you will rebuild. That said, it really grinds on my nerves that a person can pay his premiums all those years and get a 10 grit sand paper dildo rammed up his ass. I guess that sort of helps explain why there are fewer and fewer farms operating in the Upstate area.
What does all of this have to do with Faith or Religion? Well, there is a strong (if small) Amish / Menonite comunity up there and within days of the burning a few of the men came by and offered to raise a new barn if my uncle wanted to rebuild. He'd have to supply the materials and lay the cement but they'd do the rest. He agreed and sure enough, come the day agreed upon they were there and the work was done. My family is Roman Catholic and has been for who knows how long....much longer than I've been alive. Yet, here these folks were....because it was what they believed was the proper, Christian thing to do.
You can say what you like about these people but they actually practice their Faith. Its not the going to church once a week, being a jackass the rest of the time, confessing and doing penance, wash, rinse, repeat, as it seems to be in the vast majority of Catholic churches and congregations today. Its not the half hearted crap I've seen in a half dozen churches in the past year. It's a true dedication to their Faith. In short, they act on their Faith. They practice charity for the sake of charity, kindness for the sake of kindness and forgiveness because they truely believe that it is God's place to make judgement and not theirs.
I've always liked the Amish way of life but I have a new found respect for their values and their commitment to their Faith. Pity more folks aren't more like them. The world would be a better place.
The Golden Rule.
In action.
If I were God, I'd be smiling.
The insurance company sprung a little suprise clause on him. You don't get a check for the full value of the damages unless you sign a letter saying you will rebuild. That said, it really grinds on my nerves that a person can pay his premiums all those years and get a 10 grit sand paper dildo rammed up his ass. I guess that sort of helps explain why there are fewer and fewer farms operating in the Upstate area.
What does all of this have to do with Faith or Religion? Well, there is a strong (if small) Amish / Menonite comunity up there and within days of the burning a few of the men came by and offered to raise a new barn if my uncle wanted to rebuild. He'd have to supply the materials and lay the cement but they'd do the rest. He agreed and sure enough, come the day agreed upon they were there and the work was done. My family is Roman Catholic and has been for who knows how long....much longer than I've been alive. Yet, here these folks were....because it was what they believed was the proper, Christian thing to do.
You can say what you like about these people but they actually practice their Faith. Its not the going to church once a week, being a jackass the rest of the time, confessing and doing penance, wash, rinse, repeat, as it seems to be in the vast majority of Catholic churches and congregations today. Its not the half hearted crap I've seen in a half dozen churches in the past year. It's a true dedication to their Faith. In short, they act on their Faith. They practice charity for the sake of charity, kindness for the sake of kindness and forgiveness because they truely believe that it is God's place to make judgement and not theirs.
I've always liked the Amish way of life but I have a new found respect for their values and their commitment to their Faith. Pity more folks aren't more like them. The world would be a better place.
The Golden Rule.
In action.
If I were God, I'd be smiling.
