My Favorite Virtual Pastor John Pavlovitz

https://www.facebook.com/johnpavlovitzofficial/videos/542500743358321/UzpfSTY3NDMzNzkxNDoxMDE1ODM2OTIzMTMyNzkxNQ/

 

This morning, I tuned in to hear Pastor John Pavlovitz on Facebook. I’ve read three of his books and scores of his columns. I’m a huge fan.

 

If he were local, I’d attend his church. Fortunately, he’s also virtual, so I get to do it, anyway.

 

This morning he answered virtual visitors’ questions and ended up speaking of the eternal NOW. The now of a millsecond ago is gone. This now is gone, too.

 

It’s the NOW of every moment in which we are able to make something different happen. He encourages us to make whatever that different thing is, something compassionate and loving, even locked here in isolation away from our friends and loved ones.

 

So, here I am, encouraging you to start following him on Facebook. I can’t imagine a more loving thing to suggest than that right now. And I mean this even for atheists and agnostics. He doesn’t preach; he isn’t an evangelist. He’s not trying to convnce you of anything other than being as good and grace-filled a person as you’re capable of being.

 

He helps people recognize that the feelings we’re feeling right now are real and born of compassion, even when we’re feeling angry about what’s happening politically and societally.  He encourages us to turn our anger into something constructive.

 

He encourages us to erect boundaries where we need to, and to listen to people we don’t agree with by understanding that they are scared, and encouraged to be scared, and this is how they deal with their fear.  Remembering this gives me the grace I need to cut them more slack than I’m usually willing to do.

 

This doesn’t mean remaining silent when we disagree. It means having compassion both for the people their fear is hurting and for their fears, real and imagined.

 

It doesn’t mean ignoring what’s necessary to counteract the inimical policies and beliefs that are being promulgated when they violate (or threaten to violate) the rights, safety and equality of other humans beings who live in America.

 

What I love best about John Pavlovitz is that he’s at least thirty times the “Christ-like” person most televangelists are, and at least three times the Christian I am. I do my best, but he’s far better at it than I am.

 

Which doesn’t make him a Casper Milquetoast. He calls out injustice and incompetence and hatred and malfeasance when he sees it, as I do. But he does it in such a way that he probably convinces a lot more people than I do that Christians and secular moral humanists behave so much better than what he sees happening on the other side of the table.  He mentioned Jesus giving Judas the same access and grace during the last supper as he gave to his other eleven disciples, even though he knew Judas was going to betray him.  (By contrast, my modus operandi is to separate myself from far-right believers and stay as far away from them as I can possibly get, even when they’re family members… especially when they’re family members! I hate conflict and I hate remaining silent, so it’s an untenable situation for me to be around them.)

 

If I were on the other side of this political divide, I would probably feel welcome enough to sit and listen to what he’s saying instead of throwing up my hand and sneering, “I’ve heard enough. He’s too Christ-like for me!”

 

He admits to his fallibility. He admits to falling short. He admits to being human.

 

He’s a social justice advocate.  He’s a straight LGBTQI advocate and ally, a feminist, and a man who doesn’t place his rights and privileges as an American above any other human being’s.

 

I believe God loves him and thinks he’s doing a fine job. I hope He feels the same about me… but I’m nowhere near the near saint John Pavlovitz is. Maybe if I watch him more often he’ll rub off on me.

 

I know if DeForest Kelley was still here, I’d be in Pavlovitz’s league already. De was right there with him,  and I was pretty close when De was here, but I’ve back-slid.   I want to get back to where I was.

 

I think John Pavlovitz is the guy who can help me do it.