As has been the case since the site was launched, some people have responded without much thought, or clear intent to communicate in a real way. One response we just got is from some one who apparently goes to the church, and had this to say:
"Work your program. Let go and let God. This isn't healthy."
To me, this is worthy of a response, so I will share what I am sending to Sarah. Our aim is to communicate, not pretend that we know things we do not, to spout platitudes or claim things without any sort of backing for our claims at all.
" Dear Sarah,
We appreciate your intention to communicate. Giving you the very best possible benefit of the doubt, by making the assumption that you want the best for us, then I might further assume that you know that we are not "working our program". This is your first injunction, in the message you recently sent.
Let's back up. We don't know you and you don't know us. I don't think there is any way that you know whether we are "working our program", other than something you might have decided you think you know from reading the site. Your response is so brief and without reflection, it is hard to believe that you have actually read the site.
Still, here is a little bit of my program, so you can feel more confident that I am "working my program". And I can say that L shares these ideas with me.
I take "Higher Power" to have something to do with truth, or to be more precise, with the gift we have been given to speak words that are as close to something we might be able to rely on as possible.
This shouldn't be a great stretch for you, since the The Word, or Logos, is actually identified with the Second Person of the Trinity, that is, Jesus Christ. We are speaking of the principle of Divine Reason, or creative order.
We are attempting to make order out of a very, very disordered and chaotic situation.
That is our program, and we are working it.
You suggest that we "Let go and let God". I think your implication is that if there is some wrong that has taken place, we should just let go of that. As you can see from what I have raised earlier in regard to the principle of Divine Order, this "letting go" would be contrary to the spirit of our program.
On the contrary, by continuing to consider this situation deeply ( more deeply than you, I believe), we are continually, every day, "letting go and letting God", in truth. We let go of the need for perfection, and we relish in the power of words that come through us to attempt in our own way to bring greater order to this terrible and tragic situation. And we will engage with you in further conversation, if you are interested.
So you finish your brief message with "This is not healthy".
How so? We have nothing from you as to why you make this claim. You appear to speak from a position of great knowledge, superior knowledge. Please, rain your wisdom upon us. What is not healthy about the sharing of information that will shine a light on the hypocrisy at the Ashland UCC Church?
Feel free to engage. But please make sure to have something of consequence to bring to the conversation. None of what you wrote is either applicable, or makes much sense, as you have written it.
I have posted your message and my response on our blog, as is our custom.
Thank you,
Daniel"
We'll continue to keep everyone up to date on any dialogue with folks who are interacting with the site.