Cholesterol Evangelism

Back to business! I heard a report on the news today about women and heart disease, realized that I'm closer to 40 than I've ever been before, and know that my cholesterol level is bad, bad, bad. 230-250 with the breakdown being especially bad for the good-to-bad ratio. Husband, who is almost 10 years older than me, had his checked for the first time this month and it came back at the freakishly-good number of 150! I don't get it. He's as puffy as I am (even if he wears it better because of his height) and he eats eggs and bacon and sausage and cheese! But...he also enjoys a small glass of smelly red wine after the kids are in bed and greets the day with an extra large cup of smelly road-tar coffee. The report this morning said that caffeine might be helpful too...I think. *whining* I don't wanna drink any of that stuff. Maybe I'll incorporate a medicinal shot of dark grape juice, a square of Lindt's 85% chocolate and a handful of almonds. Maybe soy milk too.

Anyway, I'm determined to be back on track with my diet and exercise. I am going to. get. healthy! I'm going to stop behaving like a teenager who thinks that the statistics and warnings don't apply to me really because I'm -- after all -- invincible.

So last evening and this evening, I went to the gym and worked a little harder and a little longer than I normally would. While stepping the eliptical, I was surfing the Christian Women Online site, got onto a rabbit-trail and found this blog. I read quite of bit of this blog. I like this blog. I like this woman's balance of truth, candor, exhortation, humility and the pursuit of holiness. In one post, she just took the words right out of my mouth! (Though I don't presume that she will say the same about what I'm about to say. I'd like to hope so, but I wouldn't dare speak for her.)

I've been thinking a lot lately about just what is it that Christ is calling us to do in this dark, lost, wicked world? Recently, our local mega-success grocery chain came under the scrutiny of the conservative Christian crowd because it spent quite a chunk of change in support of a gay-pride day in our city. Many of my friends were up in arms and actually picketed outside the store one Friday evening because homosexuality is, of course, an abomination. I didn't see the display for myself, but got a first-hand account of the banners and signs and respectable turn-out. A friend who attended shared with me that it was a very peaceable display by the protesters, but that the anger and language that was hurled at them from the passers-by was shocking and especially disturbing since some or many of the families brought their children.

Let me stop here and say that Friend is precious to me. I respect her immensely and am always exhorted and encouraged in my pursuit of holiness after I've spent a little time in her company. But on how to approach this situation, we disagree.

Given the timing and remembering well how blind, blind can be, I imagine that most people who had a negative reaction to the picketers did so because they saw a group of clean-cut men and denim dress-clad women and girls holding signs that condemned homosexuality. Husband and I wonder how many folks ignorantly associated these picketers with the Kansas fanatics that had been protesting military funerals of late? I wonder what good could possibly have been done? At best, it probably confused people, and just made Christians look like condemning, self-righteous, old-fashioned idiots. What a shame. Surely there must have been a better way? Like...maybe do as Jesus did -- go find the sinners and meekly preach the gospel to them. Go to the gay pride day with the humble heart of a sinner saved by grace and tell the people there of the truth of God's existence and the provision of His salvation!

It's a classic case of putting the cart before the horse. Lost people do not understand these choices as sinful -- that's what it means to be blind. Frankly, I don't know that God is any more offended by the behavior of a homosexual than He is by a person who dares to take another breath in unbelief, giving no glory whatsoever to the One Who afforded that breath.

Now, how many times have I heard Christians excuse themselves with the assumption that when the lost brissle at their witness, it's really the sinner coming under conviction? Yeah. Well. Not so much. Maybe occasionally -- but not very often, I think. I know for myself that I never, never, ever felt convicted by the Godly witness or countenance of my extended family before I was reborn. Truth be told, I only felt smarter than them.