Dear David . . .

I know that there are people who read this blog that may think I have assumed a “martyrs role.” Nothing could be further from the truth. There are times when I think I should write about other things instead of chronicling the feelings, emotions and realities of having been on the other side of grace but then someone does or says something that forces us to deal with ugly side of people’s ability to love like Jesus.  Personal hurt, anger  and disappointment apparently trump the clear call of Jesus to consistently love the unlovable and especially your “enemies.”  When you see something totally the opposite of this, especially in those that are entrusted with the spiritual leadership of others, it gives pause and then you find that you must extend the grace and forgiveness that you long for yourself. The call of Christ and Christianity 101 is to love.

Here’s a reminder that I need to give myself before I go on in this post:

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NIV

And now for the heart of this blog post. Based on the struggle of some to love like Jesus I submit a letter on their behalf to a man named David. He was a failure. He was an adulterer. He was a murderer . . . and oh yeah he left behind a body of work that has touched people and changed lives to this day.  He also was a “man after God’s own heart” to quote the scriptures.

Dear “King” David,

First of all, you need to know that this will be our last communication with you. Your actions and apparent lack of care for what you have done is more then we can take. We don’t want to talk to you or see you and for that matter we hope you lose your position as “King.” You’re no king of ours.

Yes, there may have been a time when you knew God but obviously you have become an evil person and we now seriously doubt the sincerity of your work before. We are pretty sure that whole thing you did with Goliath was just an attempt to draw attention to yourself. We also realize that you have written a few worship songs but obviously these were written in the flesh so we won’t be singing any of them anymore.

We hope that you fail in your new life. Already we can see that your family is imploding and to be honest we are happy about it because you deserve it. Heard you lost a baby also. Wish we could say we are sorry but as follower of the one true God we feel that you deserve this as well. We heard you fasted and prayed for the baby to live and then you got up and worshiped God after the baby died. Obviously you are so lost you don’t even know it.

If by any chance we encounter you or find out that you will be in the vicinity of where we are we will do everything we can to avoid seeing you, hearing you, loving you, extending grace to you, praying with you, reaching out to you or anything else that might give you any idea that you can ever be forgiven for your actions. We don’t know what you did exactly because we’ve never talked to you but we’ve heard things and that’s enough for us.  

So . . . we are moving on for the health of the church and the purity of “us.” Saul should have killed you when he had the chance. Please don’t come around us as we reach out to help the broken and lost to find their way.

Our hands are pure and our hearts are holy,  David. What were you thinking? You truly are a loser and you are dead to us.

Your former friends from the kingdom. 

So dear friends that read this when you are walking your road and trying to do the best you can to make straight paths for your feet and journey.  What you will find is that Jesus will not leave you or forsake you. As I stood in church yesterday I absorbed these words once again and let them wash over me like a fresh rain:

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

The voices of hate and silence will be a minority but that is what you will be tempted to hear and focus on. Be thankful for the voices that speak words of kindness and mercy and never forget the love of authentic followers of Jesus Christ.