Advent Story

I had a pretty good week. One of the guys here in 3A – “J” – has been working closely with me to get his GED. He passed two parts last week. To thank me, he got me a set of “thermals” – long johns. Buying a set cost $20.00, but “yard workers” get them for free. J goes all over the compound and knows guys everywhere. He got me a set from the laundry.



Then “Ray”, who I helped with his college lit class (he read Hemmingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”, an amazing story) delivered me a new set of sheets and two new towels and washcloths to thank me.


Another guy made sure I had enough “good” typing paper for my legal work. He was thanking me for helping him handle an insurance claim. The paper they sell on commissary is a cheap, low grade paper. The 200 plus sheets he “found” and gave me are high grade.


Big S, E and I found our way into two more large bags of chocolate chip/cranberry cookie dough. Every night for the last week I’ve fixed, in my plastic bowl, a thick, bubbly, gooey cookie. My whole bed area smells like Christmas!


I have a small, fold out nativity scene sent to me last year by a friend, an Episcopal rector. I set it up on my book shelf as my “Christmas decorations”.


It was a good week. My advanced writing class began a group writing project – a three act play. We sat around a few tables pushed together, sketching out a really remarkable story about a group of down on their luck losers who win a chance to interview for an employment opportunity with the “job God”.


Big S and I were talking. He had his daily devotion book out. Big S isn’t a “church guy”. A couple of months ago he noticed me watching a church program early Sunday morning. Since that week he watches. Afterwards, we’ll get a cup of coffee and discuss what we’ve heard.


Big S read a devotion from Genesis. The writer’s point was God made everything and everyone. All are unique and distinct and in God’s eyes valuable and worthy. Big S asked me if I thought that meant in God’s eyes, a child molester was as good as he was. “You know, Larry, I have a real hard time with that. I just don’t get how God can love “W” knowing what he did (he sexually abused his own daughter).”


Tough question. But, the answer is even tougher. God loves all of us: even child molesters, even embezzlers, even wives who divorce their husbands because they are “a good person”. We are all sinners and all fall short of the mark. In God’s perfect eyes a sin is a sin.


That is really a difficult idea to accept. I struggle with that in here. I’m around a good many people I would have preferred not to have contact with. As a matter of fact, I tended to live my life avoiding less desirable people. It was easy to spot the “good” people. I hung out with them. Oh, they may cheat on their spouses and their taxes. They may hold grudges, say hateful and hurtful things, but they weren’t criminals. They didn’t kill, they didn’t rape, they didn’t steal.


There comes a point in time when you are broken. When you realize you’ve made a terrible mess of things. You know you are a thief, you know you lied to your family; you betrayed your wife and kids. And all the goodness you thought you had was nothing but a lie. You do the last thing you have left. You cry out to God and admit how you really are.


So I told Big S God forgives every one of us if we sincerely ask. He does it for molesters and adulterers, embezzlers and arrogant, self righteous SOB’s.


The reason the Advent season is so special to me is I’m reminded in a world filled with anger, crime, broken relationships, and fear we all can have hope. God loves us, in spite of ourselves, He dearly loves us.


This season is a great time to remember that. It’s a great time to reconcile with someone you’re angry at or hurt by. It’s a great time to remember what love really means.


God sets a pretty tough example for us to follow. Then again, He was willing to give me another chance.