"I'm always relieved when someone is delivering a eulogy and I realize I'm listening to it." - George Carlin

For the most part it was a pretty ordinary day. I worked at the coffee shop and in Fred, getting my books unpacked so I know how many feet of shelving I need. (A: 23'). I cleaned out the grass growing around the Marion berries and the blueberries and was surprised to see our brand new bushes will yield a couple dozen blueberries. I turned the compost pile and cut back the new low growing branches of the Alder at the end of our driveway. In between I had a couple of virtual conversations.

One of them was via email with dear friends north of here about scheduling a visit later this summer when we're headed up to Seattle for our next visit with the folks. We always enjoy our time with Mauri and Sherry and are already looking forward to this opportunity.

The other conversation was through the messenger app within Facebook. We've never met in person; he sent me a friend request a couple of years ago when he learned of me while attending the college where I taught. He then went on to seminary and just recently graduated. Today he wrote a post about his deep disappointment with President Obama for not apologizing to the Japanese while visiting the memorial to the bombing in Hiroshima. He compared his visit to that of a warlord who visits those he nearly destroyed and says, "Let's just move on."

In a comment to his post I asked if he understood the circumstances leading up to and following that bombing. I also said one apologizes for a wrong. I agreed it was a horrible event, "but was it wrong?"

Shortly after that I got a private message saying that even asking that question showed I was blinded by nationalism and further comments along that line would result in my virtual erasure.

In the back-and-forth that ensued I learned that besides being a nationalist my moral code lacks a biblical foundation, I have denied Christ's atoning sacrifice, my understanding of the gospel is stunted, and I am spiritually infected.

Well then. That was fun!

I decided the kind thing to do would be to spare him any further contact with a carnal reprobate such as I, so I de-friended him.
He's young; he'll get over it. Alas, he'll come across others like me, wayward Christians who have failed, or worse, refused to see the implications of the gospel as clearly as he does. I hope it doesn't take too great a toll on his view of the body of believers.
I sure wish I had his confidence that my views on complex issues were so sorted and correct.
Maybe someday.