Mad Max, Your post really moved me! I will be praying for you as well as everyone else on the BBS and of course my family, my friends, my church, and the nation. Continue to pray for me. I believe that you truly hit the nail on the head in interpreting my priest's sermon in the most effective way. It is very important not to hate--which doesn't mean that we shouldn't be angry. When you hate, you say things and do things that hurt others that for the most part were in the wrong place at the wrong time. A closer example is that I read a post today that exemplified hate. I understand that the poster is very emotional right now but his emotions have spilled over into hate and thus he has hurt some people here who had nothing to do with what happened a week ago. This behavior is exactly the type of behavior that my priest did not want to see, and that goes for all Christians, not just the Episcopalians that go to my church. I really believe that in order for one to have their life complete that they have to have some kind of spiritual fulfillment. I know some people here may think I'm nuts for feeling that way, but my life was empty before I really began to understand my relationship with God and his Son. Do I still sin and fall short of my faith? You better believe I do--every day. However, if you really have a strong relationship with God (and trust me, you will know), and trust in him with all your heart, then He will see you through. Now I can't speak for other people that live in other parts of the world--I can only speak for myself. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people thought that what I just said was bunk, but I'm just relating to you and to people here, my own personal spiritual experience.
