In Terms Of God’s Teachings, Spirit, Source Are Inseparable Letter Of The Week: From Oct. 1

Syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts (“God is in the rain, not the thunder,” Sept. 29) tells an inspiring story of Chris Carrier, who was nearly murdered as a child, but in his adult life visited his attacker in order to share God’s forgiveness with him. Pitts contrasted this vision of the Deity with the image of “TV preachers” who tell us how to vote. He creates the impression that you can be one or the other, but not both.

Pitts should have considered the most famous preacher of our day, who is pleading with us to vote in such a way that our society will not abandon the most helpless of our human family, the unborn. Interestingly, this same preacher was also the victim of an attempted murder, and he too went to visit the man who tried to kill him and extended God’s forgiveness to him. That “TV preacher” was John Paul II, whom many historians believe will be known in future centuries as John Paul the Great.

Pitts rejoices in the capacity of people like Carrier to act in such a fashion. But that capacity is the fruit of something that occurs when we surrender to God on a regular basis - exactly what the “TV preachers” ask us to do. And yes, they ask us to submit our nation and our laws to the same kind of lordship.

Pitts likes the image of God as a nurturing rain, but objects to portraying Him as righteous thunder. Yet Christianity insists that God is both righteous and loving. He is compassionate and holy.

If you admire the fruit but despise the vine that produced it, what are you saying? David K. DeWolf Spokane

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