The River Church Community

bLoG4: Unplanned

I went south on First Street.  Most of my introductions were more or less normal.  Then I entered “The Adolescent Family Life Program and Cal-Learn” office.  As I walked through the door, everyone immediately turned toward me.  I felt like an intruder, like I had premeditated a hold-up and had a 12 gauge ready to fire.  They stared and I stood stunned by their fear.  When I finally got my voice I explained that I was a pastor at the church on the corner (tension heightened to extreme levels at this point) and that I was just going around meeting our neighbors.  And then they breathed.  I really think they had held their collective breath for a minute or so.  Literally, I heard them exhale…anyway…then I realized why (or so I think).  They explained that they are associated with Planned Parenthood.  Once they explained this to me I wondered if I had CHRISTIAN written on my forehead and they feared that I did not come in peace.  I guess this would be a realistic fear.  Not surprisingly this made me thoughtful.  Workers at Planned Parenthood feared me as a pastor.  It did not seem like a righteous fear but a fear of being verbally assaulted.  I wondered how Jesus would have dealt with these women?  How would be interact with them?  Would he love them as he did Zacheus (a hated tax collector) or would he shun them?  If I had to take a side, I think Jesus would love them.  And so when they asked me if I would be willing to give them River brochures so that they could hand them out to young women looking for a church, I said yes.  I said that I would bring them to them the next week.  And so I shall.

Tony, Pastor of Mission Mobilization