Valerie is a 42-year-old, single, Reformed Christian lady who lives in Baltimore. She doesn't remember a time
before she knew and loved Jesus, but she does remember accepting John Calvin into her heart in March of 2000.
Valerie is a member of Christ Reformed Evangelical Church in Annapolis.
Though her career aspiration is to be a housewife, Valerie has not yet found anyone suitable who wishes to hire
her for employment in that field (or, more properly, anyone suitable has not found her), so in the meantime she
earns her daily bread working in communications -- editing, writing, print design and website management.
Frankly, My Parable, I Don't Give a Turk
I think centuri0n's parable purism is off-base, but that won't stop me entering his little contest with this little tale:
A certain sheep went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. Well, she started out in that direction at any rate, but very foolishly wandered off the road and fell into a deep, miry pit.
Now by chance a certain priest came down that road.
"Please help me!" she bleated. "I've very foolishly wandered off the road and fallen into this pit!"
"Aw...don't be so hard on yourself," he replied. "Who's to say that being in a pit is wrong? And wandering off isn't necessarily bad, it's just an alternative path. So don't let anybody judge you!" And he passed by on the other side.
Likewise a Levite arrived at the place.
"Please help me!" she bleated. "I've very foolishly wandered off the road and fallen into this pit!"
"You know what your problem is?" he asked. "You've very foolishly wandered off the road and fallen into this pit. What you need to do is stick to the road, like I do. I'll be praying for you to get your act together and cease your stupid straying!" And he passed by on the other side.
And a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where she was.
"Please help me!" she bleated. "I've very foolishly wandered off the road and fallen into this pit!"
And when he heard her, he had compassion. So he went to her and hauled her out, and cleaned the mud out of her wool, and carried her back to the road.
"I think I'd better go the rest of the way with you, Miss," he advised. "I'd hate for you to meet with robbers along this road while traveling unprotected."
"Robbers?" she replied with a laugh. "Oh, there are worse people than robbers to meet out here!"
On January 8, 2009 2:07 PMpentamomwrote... Oh, and BTW, implied in "meet's Frank's criteria" is that it communicates the gospel, and does it really well. So my point was more than technical. ;-)
