Spitting into the Wind

If you know anything about me, which you probably do or you wouldn't be reading this, you know that I am a seminary student (for another 24 days). I'm in this preaching class now, and what strikes me today-- or more precisely, what struck me last tuesday and I'm just now getting to write about it-- is what a strange and fabulous thing it is to be in a room full of professional theologians following a tragedy.

We were all preaching Exodus texts-- and it was interesting to watch how each person somehow claimed in their sermons, "This is what the text said to me on Sunday. But this is what the text said to me following the VA. Tech shootings."

And then the discussion within the class after all of our sermons was about how preaching is like spitting in the wind. This class is crazy-- after all, it's name is "The Theater in the Text" and the teacher really believes in "pushing the envelope". So we've been using props all semester-- big flowery hats, ropes, teddy bears, bows and arrows, etc. When we finished preaching these very tough sermons, the teacher had us put on these props, and go stand on the roof of one of our buildings, and spit of the edge of the roof. And then she said, "You look crazy. The people will laugh at you." Yeah...and... why are we doing this? And then she went on "This is the way you will make them listen-- by being crazy and looking silly."

Indeed.