On my turf

Today I was mentally investing into discovering for the first time the modern sense of fundamentalism and ecumenicalism within my own religion, even having an interesting time listening to bad pubications blurb about BSF. I could feel me drifting in a sea driven by my curiosity, and felt a little nudge remind me: "You told yourself that next time you were going to do something extraordinary you were going to prepare a reply for your JW ladies. You know they'll be here any day."

I ignored the reminder. A half-hour later, ding dong. Crap. Okay, God, here we go.

The title of the month's publication was "Who is the Antichrist?"

I listened to her tell me for about fifteen minutes the introduction of scriptures and issues on the matter, and I even painfully said, "uh-huh" when she finished reminding me that we "had learned already" how after the apostles died, the Christian church went apostate. I failed to remind her that we had also studied how they had never discovered for themselves that probably all of those 'facts' were pretty much misquoted according to their own sources, and kept silent.

I focused myself to remember that since I canceled meetings with them, things are on a different angle now between us. That's all thanks to 2 John, way to go 2 John you were more wise than I could have known back when I was confused or afraid to obey. See, I confessed that I had to quit meeting with them because, despite all our similarities and all the things they were able to change my mind on, the problem remains that Paul described his gospel in many ways, the most plentiful being the "gospel of Christ," and what's more, he called that message of "Christ crucified" sufficient for knowing Jehovah and desired to know nothing else by comparison. They did not have that same flexibility to describe the gospel; in fact, they had said in their publications that Jehovah was the only one who ought to be proclaimed among the nations because of the diminutive nature and role of Jesus.

That sting, I think, wears off, and I hate to reinflict it, because I know she's going to think I am not listening anymore. She is going to think that I'm being stubborn, but it isn't true. For me it always was the trump issue, I just never felt I needed to be defensive about it. I'm only being defensive now because 2 John told me to.

She brought a new lady with her this time, an elderly Spanish lady who said that she suffered from poverty when she was a child but knowing the hope of paradise allows her to forgive and make reconciliation with those days. I had the utmost respect not only for her experience but also for her opinion and for the real consolation I know her church gives her.

Through her testimony I was able to bring it back to the heart of the matter. I addressed the new lady instead of my old visitor: "I feel so much appreciation for the hope you have found and it draws me to find myself in agreement and in joy with your good message you want to share with me; the only conflict I have is that you have brought to me today this topic of the antichrist [at which point I lifted the magazine to quote from] where it says about him in 2 john that the antichrist did 'not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.' I get from that that it's pivotal that we correctly identify Jesus, and so since I found in studies past more scripture verifying his eternity as opposed to his being created, I am forced to direct attention to the gritty issues, even though sometimes I'd prefer not to."

And I let it go at that. That was enough for me to discharge my sense of duty. We spent another fifteen minutes going over colossians yet another time, and I once again mentioned "prototokos" which the Spanish lady had no clue what I was trying to communicate, and my other regular visitor started to get a little flustered and upset and decided to just end the discussion of the Colossians passage with the claim that the context supported her conclusion and moved on to another point.

I don't see the good in it. I mean, the good for them. I doubt anything positive, eternally, will result. The one point of pleasure for me is that it is beginning to be established, that, if she really wants to overcome what appears to be my newly developing stubbornness now, she is going to have to address the scriptural basis for Jesus being Jehovah, because that's where I'm camping by the 2 john command.

My pastor gave a sermon a week before Christmas titled "Have a happy, slappy Christmas." I'm a little embarrassed to admit it for it exposes that evangelical weakness I am ashamed about. He told the story of St. Nicholas, the real person whose life became the myth of Santa Claus. He was a man who secretly did good deeds for the poor. But, he was also a member of the council of Nicaea. Apparently when Arius (the JW prototype) was up speaking during the council, and he was arguing for his belief about Jesus, Nicholas was so upsetted by Arius' defaming the deity of Christ that he walked up to him and slapped him in the face.

He summarized saying, "Now don't go around slapping people in the face, even if sometimes you feel like others deserve it. [Chuckle, chuckle in the congregation; I'm getting a little sick.] But, would you take an opportunity if it comes, to stand up for the reason for the season this Christmas? Don't let others talk irreverently about who Jesus really is and what Christmas is all about. If the real Santa Claus was brave enough at least in his conviction about Jesus' diety, then we ought to be brave too."

I was pretty mortified by the title of the sermon and even just the joking along that line of asserting my belief over other people I might come across. On the other hand, I felt that his message was meant just for me, and I had taken it to heart all these weeks.

Having them come into my home, and delivering the correction of scripture in the most gentle way I am capable of, was the best of both worlds. I got to say the truth that matters, because they came to me, and, I didn't have to leave Jesus underdefended like I had been doing for a couple years running.

2 John 9-11 "Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work."