The day after I returned home from Israel, an old friend called to tell me of the death of a mutual friend and urged me to go to his funeral later that day.
After the service, I was standing in the hallway of the church chatting. I allowed as how I had just returned from Israel.
One of the women standing there said she had been to Israel a number of years earlier with none other than Al Gore.
"To Israel with Al Gore"?" I queried.
"Yes, Al," she assured me. "It was right before he ran for president and he was doing an economic mission thing. Lots of people invited."
"The best part was that some of our group were so in awe of him that they wanted Al to baptize them --then and there-- in the Jordan River....."
"The best part was that some of our group were so in awe of him that they wanted Al to baptize them --then and there-- in the Jordan River....."
There are few times that I am speechless, but this was one of them. Brother Al Gore baptizing the faithful in the Jordan River.
I didn't stay to hear the rest of the story or learn whether the alleged baptisms actually took place. I merely rolled my eyes, laughed out loud, and moved on to the next conversation. I had heard quite enough.
Oh Brother Al, where art thou?
Come to think of it, a right reverend might be just the profession for Al after all this global warming, I mean climate change, hysteria quietens down. Just the thing.
And he can rewrite the book of Revelations while he's at it.
Come to think of it....he already has.
2 comments:
During my husband's last deployment his ship made a port call in Haifa, Israel. The CMC, who at that time was working on his Master's Degree in Divinity, took about a dozen sailors to baptize them in the Jordan River. According to my husband, the CMC considered that the highlight of the deployment, which included, among other things, being the first ship to transit the Suez after the Turks denied the use of their airspace, and taking part in the "Shock and Awe" phase of OIF, launching more than 2 dozen Tomahawk missles, some from the Red Sea and others from the Persian Gulf.
I don't recall there being any laughter about it as it seemed like a very moving and spiritual event for all involved.
I too was baptized in the Jordan last year and found it a deeply moving experience.
My amusement comes from hearing of people wanting to be baptized by the object of their own political adoration: Al Gore.
I did and still do think it's funny.
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