A dear sweet woman, a dedicated creative computer-graced gentleman, and an energetic young blogging-wizard have been falsely and fiercely maligned the last few days over something I did. And of all that I am sorry for in these matters, these injustices top the list. o Sherri, Kevin, and Julie: I am so sorry for the hurtful words, accusations and public pillorying that you have suffered. I hope you can find it in yourselves to forgive me for the injury and insult I have ‘brought upon your houses.’
Lesser matters: I have been among the recipients of several group emails, excoriating the low-life that released the document to the light of day – and discussion. Not that is changes anything but I didn’t know until last night that is was a contracted business document and that I sent glowing words of appreciation to those ‘conversing’. Tony Jones’ epistle asked-with-emphasis that the guilty party identify themselves to him (confession is good for the soul) and so I herewith confess to conversational espionage and treason; apologize to Kevin (already done), remove the post here at the blog (done before I could intervene), and recuse themselves from the discussion. Since the-organization-which-shan’t-be-named-for-it-is-coprighted is fundamentally defined as “a conversation” (as opposed to an organization or structure), recusal from discussion is essentially excommunication. So, I have the dubious honor of being the first excommunicant of a non-existing but copyrighted church/faith organization. The inconvenient fact that I didn’t know this was an inside, super secret and sensitive business document until last night and not to be shared because I am not on the committee that has been meeting for months is not relevant to charges of conversational espionage. Mea culpa. Take me away.
But that does ultimately beg the question: if I am not on the committee, what other yellow-belly low life emerg*** saboteur leaked/shared such sensitive and classified information with me? Who else might need to confess, apologize, and be silenced? You, dear readers, would do well to form your own opinions (ALWAYS a good idea), but I received the document from Tony Jones. I thought it went along with an exchange of emails between “T” and myself about women’s voices on the blog and the upcoming overhaul of the website. He had suggested that the women should figure out what it was we wanted (segregated or not) and I thought I was trying to invite said women to share their convictions in an open forum. I had no idea I was committing crimes against the friendship (and truly had no idea that this was a bona fide business file). It has been education to be on the receiving end of some astonishing christian, friendly, inclusive, and diversity-embracing conversations the past 24 hours. I will be likewise interested to, silently, see how Tony deals with his own program of penance for repentance and reconciliation. Perhaps we have the second excommunicant.
The unfortunate initial misunderstanding has certainly shown a tone and spirit, a positioning and pathology, and a general antithesis of most of the values that so commended the-organization-which-shan’t-be named. As I have shared with a number of folks in the last few hours, “Sad to see; good to know.” And, as a nod to plain ol’ common sense, a final observation: in a world where thousands of God’s children are bleeding and dying, starving and crying, THIS is what we’ve gotten our knickers in a knot over??!! The heavens are surely weeping.
ExCom One
Liz Buxton
