Rinaldi wrote:
Especially for those who claim how strong their faith is when they are among the nastiest conservatives
on this site.
Have you ever watched a movie about a beautiful person with a picture in the attic that reflected their true nature?
I once listened to a sermon where the preacher said something about our lives, words, and actions as a picture of faith presented to others who might only see that as our witness for Christ, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.
My father was such a person. He never shared his faith by word while he was living. He lived a Christian life of faith. If the church doors were open, he and his family were there. Since our funds were low, we did the tasks others didn't want to do, such as cleaning, etc..
His home was open to family members who needed a place to sleep. One might say, "he'd give you the shirt off his back if you needed one." If he had something you needed and he could share, he did. Prayer and reading the Bible were part of our daily home activities.
He was disabled most of my childhood; however, he was always a loving, Christian father. He requested the pastor share the redemption message at his funeral. We sang my dad's favorite hymns.
Dad would now be a Christian conservative you despise. His faith made him one. He was never online, was barely literate, except in the Bible, and he sacrificed his youth to help his family by quitting school and working the farm at the tender age of nine so they could eat. He was that kid walking behind a mule with a one-furrow plow blade.
At the age of 33, Dad was finally granted his disability. He was told he had three years to live. He fought daily to live, raise his children, and see his grandchildren live to adulthood. He was a painfilled, racked, disabled individual during his life. I never heard him complain until he was in the hospital near his end, sweating bullets just trying to breathe. he told me, "It hurts too much to stay." He passed to glory at 70; God was in control throughout his life.
His picture in the attic has to be stunning!