Love, Patience and Mardi Gras Music (?)

The Thursday after Ash Wednesday, I was sitting in a coffee shop with a friend of mine in Covington, Louisiana.  We enjoyed the coffee, friendship, and atmosphere.  Overhead the festive jazz of New Orleans and Mardi Gras still played through the speakers.  A well coiffed and finely dressed lady approached us.  She wore a nice dark pants suit, high heels, and what appeared to be expensive jewelry.  Her look did not portend her future oration. 

It began, “Do you gentlemen like Mardi Gras music?”  And, she appeared to be holding flyers that are used to announce music venues in her hand.

My friend Rusty, a resident of the area, quickly answered “yes.”  She gave him a flyer and then began a machine gun like rapid fire apostletizing.  

“Do you believe the Jesus is coming again?  He will come in three years.  The world is about to come under attack by the Antichrist.  A new computer is being developed that can bypass every password; this will begin the totalitarian dictatorship of the Antichrist.  We will be required to have numeric codes on our foreheads and on our hands. This will happen within three years and Jesus will come at that time!!” 

Then, she abruptly stopped, turned around and left.  There was no time to ask questions, discuss her statements, or extrapolate a reply.

I wanted to challenge her. But I remembered that Christ died for all, both the knowledgeable and the weak. God has patience and love for all; even those whose search has lead them on a different road.  Christ is their persistent beacon of return. This should be our example of love and patience

Rusty who has searched through the Catholic, Baptist and Assembly of God churches, look at me and said, “That was strange.  I don’t think I have ever read about computers in the Bible.”  Then he added, “and what about the Mardi Gras music.”