Reality Check

Sarah Burger responded to A Curse on the Betrayal of Canada:

Dear Harvest Haven,

Please remove me from your mass email list. I do not wish to be bombarded with your political and religious views. Up until this point I had no problem shopping at your store, however now I will initiate a boycott and encourage my friend and family to do the same. Shame on you for using this mailing list to distribute your propaganda.

Paul's reply:

Sarah,

The word “bombard” means to address continuously or persistently. We sent you one email. How much credibility do you think you and your complaints deserve when you exaggerate or speak in ignorance of the plain meanings of the words you use?

Now, what is your complaint about? That we shared with you our “political and religious” views? That is another false characterization. The content of the letter was about truth and morality. It was sent to you, not to get you to join a political party (we belong to none) or religion (ditto), but to let you know of something important happening in your world that would surely have an impact on your life whether for good or for evil, depending on how you react. You decided on evil.

You speak in terms of some sort of perverse, homemade morality, faulting and accusing without cause or substance, giving only general opinions, then you go on to threaten us with retaliation and evil. You do so without the slightest effort for dialogue or reasoning. What kind of morality is that, Sarah? I would say a self-serving, self-important, intolerant, bratty, and hypocritical one at best.

You also speak in hyperbolic terms about your patronage of Harvest Haven. You say you have not had a problem shopping at our store and will now boycott us. Since we are a full service grocery store, and you have only spent $126 with us over the last year, it seems you have had a problem shopping with us. If your wellbeing or ours depended on your shopping here, we would both be starving.

Fortunately, we are not dependent on you or your family and friends that you threaten to turn against us, even if you were all stellar customers. We are dependent only on the One Who died for us when we were His enemies. How much more will He do for us now that He has made us His friends?

But where does this leave you, since you despise His goodness expressed through those whose lives He has made His own to bring good things to others?

Shame on us? That is not the way Jesus Christ, in Whose Name we sent you the “accursed” email, said we should feel. He said:

“Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall exclude you, and shall revile you, and cast out your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For behold, your reward is great in heaven; for in like manner their fathers did to the prophets” (Luke 6:22-23 EMTV).

“For the Scripture says, Whoever believes on Him shall not be put to shame” (Romans 10:11 EMTV).

But of you, He said:

“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26 EMTV).

Go, therefore, our proud, dismissive, unreasonable, threatening, and foolish little friend; have it your way and do your worst. It is our great pleasure and honor to be refused by you because we identify with the Lord. We will gladly strike you from our mailing list. But know this – you are no match for your Maker, Whom you contemn.

Paul Cohen
Harvest Haven Health

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