My favorite “Grinch”... this Christmas!
They may not agree with me but understood my wanting to express my view.
One was concerned that readers wouldn’t read to the end for the concept I was trying to make. Please show them they were wrong! )
The Grinch is a bitter, grouchy creature with a heart "two sizes too small" who lives on a steep mountain just north of Whoville, home of the merry and warm-hearted beings know as “Whos”. (Or could that be our town and the folks known as “Whos-its”?)
But this favorite children’s book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, by Dr. Seuss, shows that the Grinch is really a soft sweet person inside when he finds out that the holiday celebration represents more than presents and parties.
A new “Grinch”!
And this brings to mind a new friend of mine, Ken Kressin. He has become somewhat well known in this area for his public confrontation of what he sees as problems in the Christian church via his challenging letters to the editor and picketing.
I got to know him a little because his book discussion group was reading topics I was interested in. They’re called the Free Thinkers.
I figured that included me - although some might think I fit better as a kind of “Goofy Thinker”! Anyway, I asked if I could come to their meeting.
It’s been a few months now and I’ve learned a lot. I particularly enjoy how much we all laugh! Although I think Ken is one of the more serious ones there, I see a gentle smile once in awhile.
“Token Christian”
One of them has nicknamed me “their token Christian”, as they mostly tend toward atheism. At the first meeting they started picking on some of those in my faith but I didn’t have a problem with that because some of us need to be set straight. But after a while, in a moment of silence... (not many of those you know!) I explained: “I am a Christian... is that going to be a problem?”
They thought quietly for a moment and decided it wouldn’t.
Enjoy the talk!
Here’s what I have found out. We enjoy talking!
One of my favorite stories I related to them is about a former priest at St. Pius, Leon Bonin. He allowed me to be an “outside the box” type of Christian.
On spur of the moments we would see each other and talk.
One time he was out for a walk. We got on the topic of Catholicism. He asked me if I had ever considered becoming a Catholic. I was listening.
He said they had changed some things in their doctrine so I would be able to change easier. He mentioned one and I responded that I still had some reservations about that. He suggested another and I had something that concerned me about that too. He was going to tell me another one, when I stopped him and said, (with tears in my eyes even to this day), “Don’t say anything more, because I just love you.”
In other words, I don’t have to agree with you but you mean a lot to me.
Philosophy …
And this brings me to my philosophy on my Free Thinker friends. I mentioned to them that some atheist thinkers might consider themselves to have been created from the foam in an ancient sea.
But because I consider my friends to be part of a species that was made in the image of God, I may actually think more highly of them than they think of themselves! Cool!
And l like to remember the ending of Dr. Seuss’ story about the Grinch... where they celebrate the festive season together because it has more meaning than presents and parties.
So I wish you all a Merry Christmas... and may we all be happy “Grinches” in the New Year!
