Because I Said I Would

"Imagine there's no Heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us 

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today"

~ John Lennon ~ 

As many of you know by now, I travel Interstate 35 between Dallas and Lincoln, Nebraska on a regular basis.  Yes, I know 35 doesn't go all the way to Lincoln.  That's beside the point.  Just south of Oklahoma City, right next to the 4-lane highway, sits the giant billboard you see above.  And it bothers me.  But probably not for the reasons you think it does.

Many of you probably also know I'm not a Christian which may lead you to believe I find the sign offensive in some way because it isn't in keeping with my personal beliefs.  Not so.  I posted this picture and a comment equating this sign to fear-mongering on my Facebook page and was met with only mild opposition.  One particular comment came from a man I consider a friend and I absolutely loved his response.  He pointed out the sign may only be meant to raise awareness.  Noted.  He also went on to say he preferred to believe in a good, loving and merciful God (paraphrased).  I was glad to hear that from him and I promised him a response.  It's just too long for Facebook so here it is.

There are a couple things that jab at me about this sign, but the most agonizing for me is it doesn't seem to be from the loving and kind Jesus Christ for whom Christians profess their faith.  It seems more like a scare tactic.  I can only speak for me, but it seems the authors of this billboard want you to jump on board based on fear of burning for all eternity in a place called Hell.  And as a FORMER Christian, I understand if even one soul were saved based on the message from this board, it would all be worth it.  I get that.  But when I DID follow the Christian faith, I was a voracious student of the Bible.  I'm no expert by any stretch, but I can tell you this.  Jesus didn't preach based on fear.  Don't take my word for it.  Read the Gospels for yourself.  I don't think you'll find a place where Jesus did anything more than gently urge people to give up all they had and follow him.  I know that's oversimplified, but for the sake of space I think you get my drift.

I believe Jesus lived.  I don't believe he embodies the Holy Spirit today, but I'll tell you what I DO believe.  Jesus may have been the most spiritually enlightened man who ever lived.  He got it.  And he walked the walk.  I don't believe the teachings of the religion loosely built around Jesus' teachings, but I believe Jesus lived love.  To that end, this billboard does NOT promote peace.  When I began looking at spiritual sources outside the Bible, I found Jesus' words to be entirely in line with teachings of Zen, Buddha and many others.  They all got it.  It's us who twisted it.  So I implore you who are reading this to study outside the box of your religion.  If you're Christian, read the Quran.  If you're Muslim, read the Bible.  Read about Buddha, Islam, Hinduism........read them all!  If you're like me, you might find none of them are that much different at the core.

The second and less important issue with this sign is purely speculation on my part.  But I wonder what the people who pay to have this sign posted along the road would say if a similar billboard promoting Islam or Mormonism were put next to it.  I fear in this country we've learned to equate being Conservative with being Christian.  It isn't so.  The First Amendment of the Constitution of these United States guarantees each of us freedom to practice the religion of our choosing....or none at all.  Some argue the authors of the Constitution intended us to be "one nation under the God of the Bible".  I understand why they might believe that, as most of our founding fathers were Christians themselves.  But they were too smart for that.  If they meant THEIR God, I feel certain they'd have made that clear. 

So I'm clearly a little rusty at the rambling.  I've been away for some time working on the book (shameless plug).  All I really want to say is this.  There are over 10,000 religious sects worldwide all claiming to have the truth.  I'd prefer the authors of this billboard take a more loving approach, but I respect their right to free speech and religion as long as they do the same.  This is an old message I'm just trying to say in a different way.  We aren't that different.  I haven't read about all 10,000 sects, but the ones I have read all teach love, peace and unity.  Yes....even the Quran. 

Let's stop trying to scare each other in to belief.  We're all going to know the truth soon enough.  In the meantime, how about we just love each other.    

Snippet of Lesson 28

Lesson Twenty-eight

GREAT THINGS CAN COME FROM “BAD” DECISIONS

“Even cats grow lonely and anxious.”

~Mason Cooley~

     The thick grayish haze hung heavily near the ceiling adorned with black-painted duct work.  What air you could find was dense with the aroma of stale beer, cigarette smoke and cheap perfume.  It’s difficult to look cool and smile when you can barely breathe, but single men try to pull it off every night in every bar across the land.  We’re tougher than we look.

     I had my back to the bar closest to the women’s restroom and leaned back between two stools and against the polished oak edge.  The heel of my left foot rested on the short step which resulted in a knee so slightly bent.  My heavily starched Wranglers made it hard to move as I scoured the dimly lit room with cigarette in one hand, cold beer in the other.  I was cooooooool, man.  Cool.

     Here I was, less than a month after Jackie’s final departure to Nebraska, standing in the same bar where she met her hot tub friend.  It was an enormous honky-tonk just outside Greenville with a circular dance floor the size a skating rink.  The dance area was separated from the dozens of wobbly tables by a rickety, yet Texas-looking wooden rail.  It was Billy Bob’s but without the steroids and the only real dance club for miles.  All the locals went to Texas Star for the weekend to dance and romance.  At least I hoped so.

     I truly didn’t take notice of her until I began to realize she was being asked to dance on a regular basis by guys other than her apparent date.  He looked a bit out of place anyway in his Air Force uniform.  Apparently in Texas, asking another guy’s girl to dance is acceptable.  But where I come from, a repeated stunt like that would have resulted in an ass-whoopin’ for somebody.

     They were sitting at a round table just to my left.  After she got up to dance for the sixth or seventh time with someone else, I approached the airman. 

     “Is that normal down here?” I asked.

     “Is WHAT normal?”

     “You know, having other people dance with your girl all night.”

     “I wouldn’t know.  I’m not from around here.” He said as he glanced over his shoulder to watch her return from her latest spin around the floor.

     I politely excused myself form the table as she approached and returned to my position at the bar, this time taking a stool.  I continued to watch the bar, afraid to actually speak to anyone, when I saw her get up to dance still another time.  On the way back she walked directly up to me, put her hands on my knees, and with eyes I later learned reflected drunkenness said, “Hi.  My name’s Renee and you can dance with me any time you’d like.”  Then she walked away.  Well, ok then!