Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Monday May 8, 2006

J. Austin Bennett sent a quote to me that is the quintessence of my basic personality, the real me that I have worked on for lo, these many years and yes I have asked the Lord to help. He seems to be saying; "Let's take care of the unmentionables in your life first!"

Cynic extraordinaire, H.L. Mencken stated it well:

"A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin."

Austin, ever the friend to drive a stake into your heart said, "Larry, when I read this I thought of you." Nice Austin, very nice.

While young, an old rather rich man, we kids called him, Dupont Thompson, because due to our close proximity to the Wilmington enclave of this explosive family Dupont was the richest name we could think of. Of course this was many years prior to Bill Gates accumulating the entire world's known cash. Any way, old Dupont instructed me to become a student of people. I paid attention because after all Dupont was the proud owner of two, mind you, two Airedale Terriers. One of the Airedales hated me, the other, the more intelligent of the two was always overjoyed to see me.

For most of my now long life I have paid attention to the advice of Dupont, our resident cynic. Actually he did not live in our part of town, but across the bridge, past the park and in a brick house next to the funeral home, a short walking distance, but worlds away.

After these intense years of observing every kind of human being from real bootleggers using Mason or Ball jars, depending on their religious persuasion, to top notch clergypersons, of both sexes and now the tweeners, I have become as was Dupont Thompson a confirmed cynic. Especially when considering the pompous variety of clergypersons. Bootleggers usually are not pompous, unless they are arguing about the merits of their old family recipe for the mash.

A well meaning Blonde, not the Great One, asked, "Pastor Lilly, how can you be so cynical and yet help so many people?" My answer to her and to you if you are forming her question as your own, is simple. To overcome cynicism it is necessary to ask for, beg for an extra portion of the gift of mercy from the Lord. I don't think even fundamental Baptists teach that this gift has ceased, though it is not prominently on display in our circles.

A friend, well trained in the biblical languages assures me that the gift of mercy enables us to see people a little like the Lord sees them, as already perfected in Christ. If you do not want this gift, do not, I repeat, do not, study people as you will most definitely become a hardened cynic. But As Oliver Goldsmith wrote in "The Hermit;" "Taught by the power that pities me, I learn to pity them." Dupont never read Goldsmith; you should.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2006 Use with credit

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