Offertory

In the past week, I have received two significant emails.

One was an unfortunate message from the same person who has been taunting me ever since I went public as a victim of the peeping tom who was terrorizing my neighborhood.

The verbal assault - posted anonymously and under various Biblical names - began last February when I finally permitted the news folks to interview me about the intruder, organized my community, developed a network of block captains with text-trees and systems for helping the police, and yes, talked to the media, showed my face instead of my hands wringing and speaking from the shadows -- and I was vilified for doing so, both publicly and privately.

Why? I guess because I was high profile and visible to this someone who didn't like my being out in the public and being vocal. Apparently, women are only supposed to talk about girlie things like pretentious bottled water, Barbie phones, BFFs and pink laptops, according to this person anyway -- yet they're supposed to post relentless blogs about their nonexistent love life and pursue men under the guise of 'board meetings' and 'branding development.'

Me? I own an old PC, a barely-running car, proudly drink tap water and sported a $9 Marbl for three years. My love life is private - and my Mom always taught me not it was not ladylike to talk about private bizness in public.

She also taught me that standing up for what I thought was right was more important than driving a Lincoln or wearing $700 shoes with a $7 personality...that the way you speak is a mark of your character...and character is what you do when nobody's looking.

Therefore, I don't post anything here or anywhere else that does not come from me, from Kimmy -- and I don't post anonymous remarks to people with whom I disagree. I just reality plow ahead and keep blogging about what's GOOD about arts and activism. So I obviously rub this person the wrong way -- and you know what? That's too bad. Too bad for her...because she is still missing out on the most important parts of life - honesty, humility and hospitality...and that was the crux of the first, rather homely email that arrived last week just shortly after I posted one of the best blogs ever about one of the best productions that I have had the pleasure to follow. It seems these nasty missives always arrive after I accomplish something good and decent. Yes, I consider the source, but I still am human. I hurt. My liberal heart bleeds. I am confounded when I am attacked for being kind and not being a snarky, sneaky, smarmy skank.

Yep...I am befuddled by that sort of behavior because quite frankly, I am not inclined to be that way. So I yam not that way, sweet potatoes...

The second email, just as important if not even more so, arrived this morning in my email inbox. It was from a nice lady who is directing a show out west in Albany, Oregon and who read my blog in search of a particular prop - a prop that eventually had to be handcrafted, but is integral to the production. I was thrilled to see that email this morning, because first of all it is Sunday, and the Lord's day is always a good day to be reminded that there is more good in this world than wicked. And so I read the email, forwarded the information on to several of my lambchops, who will, I am certain, help this very nice lady find the valuable item she needs to produce the play. I immediately wrote her back to let her know what a blessing her request had been to me, and that certainly I was willing to help her out. In contrast to the ugliness of last week's online thinly veiled threat, today's plea for help was like a soothing balm to my soul. I know that God is good. I know that I am a redeemed and forgiven child, just as you are and just as all of us are...but sometimes I need to be reminded of what does it take to be a good person. Most of you know that I love singing in my choir, and that every Sunday, the message within our anthem speaks to me, no matter where I am on my faith journey.

Today was no different...and so here are the words to Offertory, an arrangement by John Ness Beck and which is derived from text from the prophet Micah:

With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high?

Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings? Shall I come before Him with yearling calves?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousand of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I give my firstborn for my transgressions, the fruit of my body for sins of my soul?

He has shown you, oh, Man... He has shown you what is good...

And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly, walk humbly, with your God?


Indeed.


I hope these words bring meaning to your life somehow tonight. I believe that indeed, that is all the Lord requires of us. He does not want us to cite Scripture or to criticize and be cruel in the judgment of others. He does not need us to do that...judgment is His, after all, not mine. I do believe that God wants me to do the right thing. He wants me to simply love kindness, be just and fair, and to serve with humility, not arrogance or ugly words. And you know what? That's just what I am going to do, and continue to do, right here in my blog.

I refuse to be defined by someone who took the time to send insulting and nasty words to me -- in fact, it has emboldened me to keep doing just what I've been doing...and I hope you enjoy my ramblings and yammerings-on. Coz if you don't - then golly gosh gumdrops -- stay away, get thee behind me, and keep your poison pen to your poisoned self.

If you've read all the way through this, I thank you, and I love all of you, my lambchops who continue to indulge me as I gather my courage and journey on.

peace, y'all, Kimmy