Dear Church Family and Friends,
Before Danalyn appeared on the scene, I wasn’t much of a baby person. Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t an anti-baby person. From a distance, I appreciated babies in general, and up close, I absolutely adored my two nieces from the moments they were born. Still, I wasn’t the kind of person who from a young age daydreamed about what colors to paint the nursery. For me to become a baby person, I needed to experience life with a baby in a more intimate and ongoing kind of way.
As I write this, I am typing with my right hand and holding a sleeping Danalyn with my left. I suppose I can say that I now have a first-hand knowledge of babies. Like many parents who have walked the path of parenthood before me, my experience has taught me how a baby can reorganize one’s life and one’s thoughts. The truth of this simple assertion hit home for me as I pondered an imagined scenario of brain re-engineering.
Let me explain. Previous to this moment I had been reading about the debate over gun control that the killings in Colorado provoked. As I read a twitter posting on the subject by a famous actor that provoked a landslide of virulent responses, I lamented how issues like gun control, abortion, and marriage equality are red meat issues, especially during an election season. Instead of being topics for thoughtful reflection and discussion, they bring out our inner pavlovian dog….on steroids.
In my fantasy world, I began to wonder what would happen if this feral inner beast was forced to slink away in the background because our gentle, baby-loving side decided to take over our brains. In other words, what if we approached issues without pre-programmed saliva dripping from our mouths but with concern for the future of our children foremost in our thoughts. I am sure if I were a famous actor espousing this idea on twitter I would be ridiculed for my bleeding heart idealism or some other alleged form of moronism. Despite this, I would rather that we keep our inner beasts on a short-leash. I would also like to think that Jesus would have preferred babies over beasts.
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Brooks