Jason Poling: Blame Canada
The Rev. Jason Poling is Pastor of New Hope Community Church in Pikesville.
No doubt my fellow In Good Faith readers have donned their tuques and opened up a can of Elsinore in honor of Canada Day, our northern neighbors' July 1st version of Independence Day. As my family has recently suffered at the hands of the land I often think of as America's Hat, I thought I'd invite the denizens of this blog to weigh in on the ethical question being hotly debated here at my grandmother's house in Milwaukee.
Back in the spring, somebody called my grandmother claiming that he was me, that he had been arrested for DUI in Canada, and that he needed her to wire bail money right away. My grandmother, a 95-year-old teetotaller, is sharp as a tack and wasn't going to fall for the scam, which has apparently been popular in recent months (Google "Canadian DUI grandson scam").
But the question arose whether she should have called my parents to let them know about the call. She figured that in the unlikely event this wasn't a scam, I would eventually have had to make them aware of my transgression. That was my business and my responsibility; she wasn't going to get involved. My parents felt she should have called them to let them know (and be reassured that I wasn't anywhere near Montreal at the time).
I'm with Grandma on this, and not just because I'm staying at her house right now. My view is that under normal circumstances if an adult family member calls another adult family member for help, the person called should keep that private while encouraging the person in trouble to let people close to him know that he needs help.
What do you think?
Either way, I blame Canada. If it weren't for the lovely honeymoon my wife and I had in Nova Scotia, and lobsters from New Brunswick, and mussels from Prince Edward Island, and the nice Mountie in Banff who patiently posed for a picture with my daughter the last time I was in the 51st state, and my Canadian friends, and Sarah McLachlan, and John Candy, and most of all Rush ... well, I'd be pretty bitter right now.
Comments
In spite of any criticism we may or may not receive after leaving a story or comment here, the answer definitely is not to leave God out of the equation. While Christians do need to be loving in witnessing to others, we cannot refuse to stand up for what is right. There are many instances in scripture where Christ, in spite of His loving nature, tells sternly about what happens to disobedient people, even throwing money changers out of the temple. So as men, yes we need to have a loving heart and forgive. However as Christians, we cannot allow ourselves to be too afraid to stand up. Christ wasnt and neither should we.
Posted by: Clay | July 1, 2010 10:45 AM
Ummmm...thakns, Clay.
Pastor Poling,
I say your grandmother had no obligation to rat you out to your folks, regrdless of whether the accusation was based or baseless.
As an adult, you have that obligation yourself.
Posted by: BankStreet | July 1, 2010 12:42 PM
Clay Christ also said he who is without sin may cast the first stone. Since it's a good bet you are not without sin maybe you should put down the stones and try being a loving witness.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 1, 2010 3:48 PM
No thanks. I am being as loving as I need to be. When you have to smooch everyone you try to teach something to you end up hurting most of them. If I end up being too loving to homosexuals, for example, they have a need to take it as acceptance of their lifestyle. I never felt like I didnt love anyone I have witnessed to. If I didnt I wouldnt be witnessing to them to begin with. Christ could be stern in His loving way and so should we if we need to be.
Posted by: Clay | July 1, 2010 11:24 PM
Everything is about gay, isn't it Clay!
I know, it's hard to be Clay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LET0z3IiNA8
Posted by: Clay Pride | July 2, 2010 12:12 AM
What are the people on these blogs trying to do? Change Clay? Not possible! He has become an entrenched witness for the lord and he hardly cares if anyone wants to be witnessed to or not--he is doing everything for his own salvation and if the sins he deems are sins are not forsaken by the condemned then there is no hope for them--the condemned. There is not a single time when this man has been the voice of sanity. He is besotted and particularly so about the gay lifestyle which he seems to believe is not an integral part of a person but a choice that can be cured or modified--so do a lot of other religious folks on these blogs--if you think otherwise and want Clay to accept your thinking you are climbing a not too easily scaled wall.
Ravensfan Anon
Posted by: Anonymous | July 2, 2010 7:43 AM
Hi. Everything is not about gay. I have been on three other blogs not talking about it. I think sometimes people can be too sensitive and angry, even enough to use someone else's name in their blog. You are welcome to use the name in every blog if you wish. I would be man or woman enough to use your own name and stand up for what you believe by not hiding. It is best that way, especially as Christians. God bless.
Posted by: Clay | July 2, 2010 8:13 AM
Clay Where did Christ say one could be too loving? I don't recall reading that anywhere. None of us our as loving as we need to be. To say such a thing shows pride on your part. It's also rather arrogant to assume your acceptance means anything. It's God's acceptance not yours that matters and you can make that point with out being too loving. In the end it's God not you who will be the judge.
Posted by: Anonymous | July 2, 2010 10:47 AM
I love Canada. It's beautiful and home to many great memories. And I know we are all God's children. But I am a little bitter about Rush, frankly.
Posted by: Marf | July 2, 2010 1:36 PM