Saturday, July 21, 2007

I was sad to hear that Tammy Faye Baker died yesterday due to advanced colon cancer.
As much flack as she got over the years I saw her in a different light a couple of years ago when she was on a reality show called the "Surreal Life". I started watching the show because she was on it and it was really interesting how she interacted with the roommates on the show. She was a true example of Christian love and grace and you could see the affect it had on the whole season of the show. She didn't hide her Christianity and she talked about Jesus and scripture often. But she didn't judge or try to force everyone to believe like she did. She just showed love and lived what she believed. The other celebrities on the show respected and loved her back and I believe that they probably came away from that experience with a different view of God.
I came away from watching that show with a different view of God and humanity. All of a sudden my judgements of a person I had never met and who I always had
dismissed as a shallow, fake, overly made-up, divorced, ex-wife of a con-man/preacher was a better example of Jesus than most people I had met in my 20 something evangelical years.
So, I'm glad that Tammy is finally with the Jesus that she loved and wanted others to love and I hope that I can someday, despite all of my imperfections, love others the way that Jesus loves them.

3 comments:

David Cho said...

It is a good thing that God's grace is so much deeper than ours, or none of us would be saved. I was sad too upon hearing about her death.

Erin said...

I was sad to hear that, too. I had just seen a part of her appearance on Larry King the day before, and she said she still trusts God and she wanted people to find the peace and joy that comes from knowing Jesus. She is with Him now.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful and spiritually deep observation, Gretchen. God's grace and love shine through your life and words. You are a blessing and you are loved!! :)

Hugs, Eloise