A Preacher's Kid --Once and Forever

There is something about being a being a preacher's kid that says I must push on and find somekind of road that leads to my right thinking about forgiveness with my sister, Betty. We sat together in church, Sunday after Sunday, Wednesday night after Wednesday night, and listened to Daddy quote the Scriptures about right-doing and right-thinking and seeking after the Kingdom. Can we escape our raising? Did Betty listen to what he read about asking for forgiveness? Did I listen to what he read about the one who was wronged going to make it right?

Removing Daddy from the theological framework (and that is tough to do), I read the words of William Barclay in his book, THE MIND OF JESUS; In Matthew 18:23-25 it talks about the fact that the forgiving spirit is said to be a condition of entry into the Kingdom. We must forgive as God forgives and treat people as God treats people.

Daddy seemed to be God's hands on earth to many people. We always said that he would give a stranger the shirt off our backs and that if someone murdered one of his eight children, we would have to hold up the funeral until he could find the murderer and ask him to sit with the family. I think he was a remarkable witness for the social gospel. He had a forgiving spirit. He would have welcomed his wayward son home and killed the fatted calf.

I don't have to wonder what he would say to Betty or to me. I've heard his words too many times, "I like my people to get along." If I continue on this path, I will escape my raising. But what will I gain?