I am a resident of Dresden and a voter in House District 53, represented by Michael Lemelin. I have been a student of the Bible for my entire adult life. As an ordained Episcopal priest for 40 years, my call and mission is to faithfully preach the Gospel. In semi retirement, I serve as a supply priest for half a dozen Episcopal congregations in midcoast Maine.
Mr. Lemelin’s characterization of God as a vengeful child seeking to harm creation seems to be a case of making God into the image of the Lewiston shooter. My faith teaches me that God is better than that. The God of my faith is loving, forgiving, and compassionate of the human condition. The God of my faith is ready to help, to console, and to call us to our better selves through sacrifice for others.
History has indicated that those who claim to have been directly addressed by God are either prophets or lunatics. The difference is critical. Time will tell. For now, we must beware of pronouncements like his recent statement on the House floor.
Although Mr. Lemelin may not have had the benefit of a theological education, let me console him with words from St. Augustine of Hippo. In the face of the ultimate mystery of God, Augustine said, “When you think you know God, what you know is not God.”
The Rev. Dr. Paul Tunkle
Dresden
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.