I debated whether to post this.
The first Sunday of every month Church of the Nations has a fellowship lunch after Sunday morning worship. So there we are last month all eating and talking away when someone says “Rick – there is a man here looking for you”. Okay. And there he is – a light grey haired larger-than-average pleasant looking white man dressed nice-but-casual.
He asks me about whether he can buy a meal. (There have been rare occasions when people outside the church family show up and avail themselves.) He does not look terribly poor or hungry. I wondered how he knew we had food. He says he was driving through our area looking for a place to grab some lunch. I make sure everyone has eaten (the lunch is part of our ministry with internationals and I will not sacrifice that) there is some left and he can fill a plate. I tell him he does not need to pay.
Oh no no – he decides not to fill a plate and have some of our food. Well okay – I point out several places nearby that are cheap and open on Sunday afternoon. Since he is looking for something to eat.
Then it gets weird.
Turns out he is the brother of Judge Darrell White. As in Louisiana Family Forum and Focus on the Family and recent efforts to get Intelligent Design (and probably a few other things) into the public schools. He helps his brother out with that. Fair enough. And his brother Darrell is available to speak at our church and would I like his phone number?
No – I respectfully disagree with your brother on some of these issues. He absorbs that calmly says thanks/good-bye and heads on out. Keep in mind the whole conversation was pleasant and polite.
Even though it made – in retrospect – no sense at all.
- How could he possibly know we were having our fellowship meal?
- If he was looking for a place to grab some lunch – why not accept a plate of food even for free? and why not drive the extra 500 meters to the places I mentioned? why then say “no I’ll just head on home”?
- The brother of Darrell White? who by the way is available to speak at our church? and would I like his contact information?
Give me a break.
I cannot but conclude the whole encounter was an effort to make contact with me – the pastor of Church of the Nations. (Or perhaps with any staff minister at University Baptist Church.) And to find out if we are open to having Judge Darrell White come and give a presentation to our congregation(s).
There might have been a little bit of a “spy mission” aspect – because I did after all publish a letter to the editor of The Advocate (the local newspaper not the national magazine) in which I made it pretty clear I am (1) a Christian pastor who (2) believes in God the Creator but (3) opposes strongly efforts to get Intelligent Design into the public school classroom. I am an anomaly – a Christian who believes in the gospel but not in the agenda of the Religious Right. Who is this guy? Does he have horns? Is he unpleasant? Scope him out.
Look – you can spy on me if you want. (I think the “make contact” explanation is more plausible.) You do not need to engage in this sort of “hunh? that made no sense at all” approach. I may be slow on the uptake but I am not stupid. You guys at the Louisiana Family Forum can call/write/email/meet me any time you want. So how do you like my website?
