Less than ten hours after being asked to deliver the Opening Bar at the Easter Sunrise Service on the Pier on Tybee Island ... when all of the churches come together to celebrate, including the Baptists ... I've been booted from the program.
Samuel Adams himself, who plays damn good live music on the island, drove to my house to tell me ... and to ask if he could have the Frankincense back.
Apparently, the Baptist Minister and the Methodist Minister want me nowhere the ocean when the sun comes up.
Ones been here since Jesus' first term of duty and the other looks like he just turned twelve.
I don't mind.
I was doing it for Sam and Bar Church anyway.
Besides, I can sit on the Beloved Back Deck at the house and listen to them Praise God from afar. That is if I'm not streaming Acoustic Sunrise on DAVE FM out of Atlanta.
I've been booted from better!
Actually there is something Biblical and holy about all of this. Jesus was booted from being Savior but refused to take it laying down. After fuming for three days he kicked the stone out of the doorway ... kicking ass and taking names.
Besides, I'm into the flowers on the Beloved Back Deck anyway. All but one has survived the winter. They're in bloom and I arrange them this way and that ... until I find whatever the right mix is for this year.
This year's already better than the last ... much better!
This morning after dropping little girls off at school, Goddess and I were sailing through the marsh on the Tybee Road. The marsh has been reborn and brown grass has given away to green. The sky is a brilliant white/blue and the sun is throwing diamonds on the ocean. The tops down on the car and Goddess is blowing in the wind.
I'm singing to the top of my lungs.
"They've given me a number and taken away my name. Secret Agent Man."
I know that feeling.
Religions, political parties, banks (like the one Jerry Rainy couldn't run only to be outdone by the Bank of America which gave its CEO a $7.5 Million bonus for becoming the first fully federally subsidized bank) ... they reduce people to numbers ... taking away their names.
I know the Baptists sure as hell do it too.
"Jesus called us to count his sheep ... not to name them," is one of the ways I've heard it put best, back in the days when I was a "Professional Christian" (getting paid to do what I asked others to pay to do).
All of that to say ... I'm cool.
The sun's coming up just like the Son did.
Me too.
