Dear Jimmy,
Well, I guess you are about as surprised as I am that you are getting an e-mail from me. I never in this world figured me for a computer gal, but here I am big as life sendin’ off e-mails. If you want to send me somethin’ my e-mail address is [email protected].
Jim White
|
I’d like gettin’ a note from you, but some of the stuff folks send me serves no earthly purpose but to get me good and riled up. I’ve known some folks who chew on gossip then spit it out as gospel, but this e-mail business makes tale-mongerin’ a whole lot more dangerous it seems to me. In the old days, gossips could only spread their juicy morsels to a few folks at a time. But now, I guess there’s no end to how much mischief a gossip can do.
Take this one e-mail I’ve gotten from several of your Uncle Orley’s kinfolk sayin’ that President Obama is a Muslim. Well, I gotta admit that I want the president to be a God-fearin’ Christian, but even if he was a Muslim I can’t see as how he could wreck the whole country. But I reckon there must be a mess of folks out there who are ready to jump on the band wagon just ‘cause some mischief-maker sends out an e-mail sayin’ he’s a Muslim. I declare. Some folks just like to be in the middle of a mess and won’t listen to reason.
I reckon they’ve been too busy shootin’ e-mails off into the wild blue yonder to remember the interview that big pastor out in California did with McCain and Obama when they were runnin’ against each other. Obama came right out and said he is a Christian. And, I saw on the news some time ago that he was speakin’ to Muslims in Egypt or someplace like that and told them he is a Christian. And, I read in Time magazine one time while I was waitin’ for my hair to dry down at Curls for Girls that he likes the preachin’ of a Baptist chaplain down at Camp David. Seems like to me those are strange things for a Muslim to do.
In the e-mails sometimes there’s a little movie show that they say is the president admittin’ to bein’ a Muslim. Why, you don’t have to be Steven Spielburg to see how they’ve been cut and stuck back together to make him say something altogether different.
Now, to tell the truth, I don’t know the president personally, but he says he believes Jesus has saved him. I wish he’d just join a Baptist church and be done with it, but truth be told, he isn’t the only Christian who hasn’t. Now, some on Orley’s side of the family say, “If you ain’t Baptist, you ain’t saved,” but I’ve known some Baptists who didn’t seem have moved all the way over to the saved side, if you catch my meanin’.
This e-mail thing is just a part of it, though. Once I started noticin’ how some folks will just latch hold of anything somebody says, it got to botherin’ me somethin’ fierce. I started lookin’ in the Bible, and here’s what I’ve decided.
I reckon that our souls are not that only thing that needs to be converted. So do our minds the Bible says plain as day. It pains me to say it, and maybe I’m just bein’ judgmental, but I think there are a lot of folks in church who talk about how they’ve been converted but nothin’ about them has changed. They’ve still got as rotten an attitude as they ever had. They seem eager to believe the worst about folks and just itchin’ to pass it along.
They hear somethin’ bad about somebody and quick as they can get their mouth set for talkin’ they send that gossip on to the next person. When all they have to do is hit “send” they can do it even faster. They wouldn’t dare repeat gossip, but they’ll hit the “forward” button without even realizing it’s the same thing.
From my Bible readin’ it seems to me that true Christians ought to ask if somethin’ is true when they hear it. Part of bein’ wise a serpents and harmless as doves (I hope you recognize that as coming from the Scriptures, Jimmy) is recognizin’ that not everything we hear for fact is true. Sometimes people just get their facts mixed up. Sometimes they misunderstand things and speak out of turn. And, sometimes meanness gets ahold of a person and they shade the truth just enough that you will believe somethin’s true when it’s not. Not to mention that some folks just plain tell lies.
On top of that, true Christians ought to ask themselves, “Even if this thing I’m hearin’ is true, does it need to be repeated?” I have the feelin’ that sometimes a thing is said just to make somebody else look bad. I don’t reckon Jesus would approve of sharin’ such a thing as that.
Well, anyway, I’d best be closin’ cause your uncle is expectin’ lunch. He’s been outside cuttin’ grass and looks like he could blow a gasket unless I can get him cooled down with some iced tea. You can e-mail me unless I just get plumb put out and close this computer mail box right down. We’re still hopin’ y’all will come see us soon.
Love, Aunt Ida
Jim White is editor of the Religious Herald. Aunt Ida’s email address is real and she hopes you will share your opinions, experiences and illustrations with her. Email her at [email protected].