These are a couple of weeks old, but young and old gathered to demonstrate when Fred Phelps came to spew hatred.
These got posted on a Facebook site, and the combination of young and old coming together to communicate our essential message of love was very moving, and very powerful (and yes, that is I representing the old). Among the young are Daniel Baer, Annie Mellot, and Lindy Hernandez, who came all the way from El Paso to join us for this.
The G.S.A. you see on my sign stands for the Gay Straight Alliance, an organization found on many High School campuses across the country. All of my children were involved in their own when they were still in school (refer to the note about my being old). Fred Phelps chose this high school to condemn with his message of hate because they purportedly have the largest such organization in Arizona.
Last week, the Rev. Dr. Sam Mann not only preached at my Installation (scroll down to see a picture of him doing just that), he spent some time with the youth talking about Racism. Sam talked about growing up the Jim Crow south with a racist father in Eufala, AL. One youth asked how it was he turned out different, and we will all remember his answer: "I believed the song they taught me in Sunday School. 'Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and Yellow, Black and White, they're all precious in God's sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.' "
We have our work cut out for us, we who also believe these words. And where hatred is preached, as it was this day, we must be present - as we were this day.
1 comment:
Did Fred or any of his folks show?
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