But it's written in the starlight and every line on your palm, we're fools to make war on our brothers in arms.

This lyric/title comes from Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits, an amazing song I have been in love with since it ended the second season of The West Wing. The band no longer exists, but check out Mark Knopfler, the lead singer/guitar player and primary songwriter for the group by clicking the title.

Many people have commented to me that the possibility I might move to Texas is humorous considering I am a pretty Liberal fellow. (By the way I have accepted the job at Kingwood Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Kingwood, Texas just outside of Houston but have not officially gotten the job as I wait for a clear finding of my background check which those of you who have heard my Fred Sanford/Skinhead/fugitive story, you can wait inquisitively like I am.) But moving to a "Conservative place" after living in Bluffton, Indiana is like leaving Pee-Wee's Playhouse for Neverland Ranch.

(By the way that line took me ten minutes to write.)

Here's what I'm already dealing with; Monday night and again Tuesday afternoon I participated in the annual Bible reading coinciding with The National Day of Prayer. On the courthouse steps the community of Bluffton reads The Bible in its entirety from front to back without stopping. Every year I have been in Bluffton I have taken at least one shift, usually 15 minutes or so. Now I need to repeat something. This Bible reading is done on the courthouse steps! I don't know if I have qualms with that specifically, but I do know that if anyone wanted to read The Koran on the courthouse steps I would have no or exactly as many qualms with that as I do this and I'm just as likely to volunteer to read.

As I was reading Monday night 1 Kings chapter 18 I read the somewhat familiar story about Elijah challenging the prophets of Ba'al to a God-duel. Each set of believers (450 prophets of Ba'al and 1 prophet of God) put a bull on a sacrificial pyre but did not light it and took turns calling for their Lord to light the flame. The prophets of Ba'al were unsuccessful and then Elijah poured water on his pyre until it filled the trench around the pyre and then called upon God. You can guess what happened, the pyre was consumed in flame.

When I heard this story in Sunday School as a kid, which I faintly remember, we were taught that this was a glorious day for the people of God, those descendents of Abraham and Isaac. But as I read the passage on the courthouse steps I read a part I'd never seen.

Then Elijah commanded them, "Grab hold of the prophets of Baal. Don't let a single one of them get away!" So they grabbed them. Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley. There he had them put to death.

Huh? After God is proved to be real, his voice on Earth decrees 'kill them'. As I read that, slowing down with disbelief in my mind it struck me how unlike God, or at least the God I believe in, this seemed. Ofcourse so does a flame ligthing God-duel. I wondered what I was to learn from this passage. Who were the modern day prophets of Ba'al?

I finished reading and walked off of the podium and toward the prayer tent to say good night to some folks I knew. They were praying for our government leaders and thanking Jesus that they were Godly men. That pissed me off! Not because I think praying for our leaders is a bad idea, and not because in my judgement these people have a lot to learn about God (in this prayer tent and in the Whitehouse), but because at some point God became this small, very human, side choosing, vengance seeking, existence proving entity that acts and thinks and behaves...like me. This wasn't a new thought for me, but the next one was.

My prophets of Ba'al, the people I want to be found out, are other Christians.

The Christians that make God so simple and faith so easy. The believers that find it so easy to judge and condemn. The believers that find it so hard to forgive and accept. I felt a surge of guilt becuase I would call them out like Elijah did if given the chance. And would I like them to die, no, but I'd like to see them fall. This is not a good emotion to carry around. How can I love those that recieve such righteousness and superiority from that which I recieve such freedom and connectedness to my fellow man?

Then I remember the religious folk in Jesus' day, the Pharicees, and read how righteous and rule abiding they were while clearly missing the point and I am a Disciple of Jesus again, the man who said "You have heard that it was said, `Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Be careful not to do your `acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."

Bring on small minds, narrower views, Conservatives, Texans, bring on those that see God from another perspective. They'll be no Kishon Valley for them by my hands. In as many ways as I can learn, there'll be love for them as for my brothers.