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Walking Down the Water Line 

 
 

 

Walking Down the Water Line
by Randy Thomas

Date: Sun, 28 Dec 1997 

I love the premise for building bridges and want to participate in whatever way the Lord leads. There are, of course several things I do not quite understand but I will leave that for further observation and if I need to bring them up, I will. 

I was not raised as a Christian and my story is long like everyone's ("Everyone has a book to write" - Jackie Collins.)  But as a non-Chrisitan homosexual, who very proudly identified myself as gay, I experienced the "gay teen" challenge,  gay bashing and intolerance.  Now that I am a Child of God, who has turned away from homosexuality, happily so, I see the divide quite clearly, even from a personal perspective. 

If you would like to know more about where I am coming from I can send you a copy of my testimony and an article I wrote in our newsletter on Homophobia. 

I had a dream in '95 where I was walking down the water-line of a  beach and the church was out in the ocean taunting a group of homosexuals on the beach.  As I turned to rebuke the Church and instruct her on how to appropriately deal with the issue, the homosexuals started taunting me for being a part of the church.  I started quoting scripture to the homosexuals and I felt the Lord's love and power being displayed to them.  I believe my calling is to educate the church, help those who want to overcome do so, and to evangelise the homosexual community. 

I work for an organization called Life Outreach International it was founded by James Robison.  He has a religious TV show called "LIFE TODAY"  of which I have been a guest on. I work in LOI"S computer room.  I wear many hats.  I am a help desk analyst, Intranet builder and maintainer and asst. supervisor for our operations group.  I work for LOI Mon-Thu and for Living Hope Wed-Fri.  I am busy during the week. 

In His service, 

Randy Thomas 
Co-Director 
Living Hope Ministries 


Almost a Year later...November 19th, 1998

An Epiphany

    The Living Painting 
My Calling

Before I came to a saving knowledge of Christ the Lord proved his existence to me one day while I was driving, He revealed His presence through a burst of sun rays going through a passing cloud. At that moment I knew He existed. I don't know how I knew He was telling me that he knew me and had a purpose for my life, but that day forward I have sought Him with an honest heart. Almost two years later, I did come to invite Christ to be my Lord and Savior. A few months later He called me to ministry by saying: 

"Would you die for them? Would you tell them I Love them and to come to Me and be Saved?" 

"Yes, Lord." 

"Would you die for them?" 

"Yes Lord."

This conversation took place in my very first prayer encounter with Christ. I was maybe a two-month-old Christian at that time but six and half years later, I am still figuring it out. That call was in reference to the gay community ('ies). I did not learn until almost two years later what "dying" for them would mean and I am still learning what that means. Simply, it means to lay everything I want and expect down to serve and love a community of people the Lord is trying to draw to Himself. To die for them is to realize it isn't really about me at all, it is about Christ and His message to His people. To die means to sacrifice everything to promote Christ and His Love for the Lost ones in any community. 

I have always known that I would be sent back to my 'own' people. Kind of like Paul was sent to the synagogues to reason with the Jews, I knew some day I would be back to reason with the gay community I had come from. 

(side note - I realize there are many communities in the gay community and I will reach out to any and all the Lord brings me too.)

Isa 1:18
18 "Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
(NKJ)

(sidenote - there are none righteous, no not one, is another Biblical theme that is universally applied to all humankind, I am not singling out gays to be judgmentally harsh. The reason for the emphasis is due only to my personal calling and not to exalt one group of people over others.)

The following soon became the verse that is my life's prayer 

Jer 17:7-8
7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.
8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.
(NKJ)

Why am I telling you this? This is the basis of what I am about to describe for you. 

The Majestic Picture - A Crash of Cymbals , A collage of symbols

I started across the lake, in my little blue car, on my way home from visiting with my friend Steve Schalchlin at his brother's house in Rockwall. 

I pop in a tape and I am singing with Rebecca St. James a song that reminds me of the Bridges Across project called Side by Side…part of the song goes "and we will travel on this journey of life…side by side…on and on… let's keep our eyes on His Love… we will travel on and on …let's keep our eyes on the Father…." 

I look up and this gorgeous Living Painting unfolds before me. 

Upper left is the Sun Shredding the passing clouds. Brilliant well defined rays blasting through. One ray is setting the water on fire to my left, so brilliant you can't look at it without squinting. To the right of the bridge it was dark from the shadows of the clouds. AT one time before the lake formed there was a forest. Now the trees that were there are dead and sticking up like skeletons. I look up again and notice three sets of migrating geese flying in their V formation and one straggler working his wings so hard trying to find his place. 

And all of a sudden it is like this alive Presence in my heart explodes with Life and Warmth and I burst into tears and groan a prayer I can't say and my tears seal it with a "Let it Be." 

Ps 102:19-20
19 For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven the LORD viewed the earth,
20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner, to release those appointed to death,
(NKJ) 

Rom 8:26-27
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
(NKJ)

Interpretation

The Bridge

The bridge in this 'living painting' is of course the BA bridge. This bridge actually divides the water into two sides. If you were to look straight down you would see a white line dividing one body of water into two bodies. The purpose of the line is to give definition, to explain the difference. 

(side note - for all BA'ers. The Divide in this picture is more about Side D and Side E from a B point of reference LOL...not A and B)


(webmaster's note, click on the diagram  to learn about SideD and SideE)

Those on the Bridge are seeking to use it to help them as they go about their journey to get to where they are going 

The Water

Maggie didn't know that right before she emailed me about the Pool, that at that very moment I was marveling in my head about how I always saw the Bridge (in my minds eye) going over Rivers (symbolizing life and time.) But in this living painting it was going over a lake, a pool of water. I am not making this up as God is my witness. 

The Pool 

I think the Lord is going to speak more to Maggie about this. I look forward to her response. 

To the Right the water was dark and full of upright dead trees and to the left it was on fire reflecting the Sun's glorious light. I am reminded of the Vision the Lord for His ministry for me that I have entitled the WaterLine. 

At that moment it was like the Lord said that the old dead trees did not fear the Lord when His presence (the Water, the Living Water) came and instead of becoming One with Him they stayed in their religion and died. All they are now is a reminder of death and destruction. They let His presence found them and nourish them and then having a form of Godliness they forsook His presence and died in their own shells. Hence their need to taunt and ridicule to spread a kingdom of death and not Life. The sad part is they started out trying to seek His will but as time passed, they knew Him not when it came to saving the Lost. They betrayed His call for their own agendas. 

To the left is the Timeless Church who does love God, and has become One with Him. Reflecting the brilliant Glory of the Lord to those who could bear to look and see the beauty. The nourishing life. 

Although the bridge is a divider, in reality the water is still one Body in the eyes of the world. That is why the True Church must shine and rise up with the Holiness, love and beauty of the Lord. We must proclaim the Truth with humility, servitude and love. Not shame, not condemnation and without words at times…take action…live a life of sacrifice. 

The Sun and Cloud

I believe are symbols of the Son's (Jesus Christ's) Divinity and Holiness being expressed in this world. A celestial battle between He and the Adversary. The adversary seeks to blot out all of the Lord's love and life from the face of the earth, but he can't. He is only temporary, fleeting where the Lord is steadfast and True. From my vantage point of going across the bridge the true Bride of Christ was to my left. But from the Sun's vantage point (in the west) the Bride is on the Right hand side. The Right hand is a noted scriptural symbol of Power. Christ is at the Right hand of the Father. So His Bride is His representation of His power in the Earth and it is His works in her that dispel the darkness as well. 

The Geese

In the WaterLine Vision (revealed in a dream) there was a woman who had lead the homosexuals onto the beach. I have reason to believe this woman is Maggie Heineman. She may be a symbol (the woman in the dream) of many people I will meet, but at this point I think Maggie is the one who is this living symbol right now. This would be a good place to introduce a piece that Maggie wrote: 

Another Metaphor

Yes, the log is still there. 
But the metaphor has changed. 
Then... 
I thought of the man dying on the sidewalk in Bombay. 
I was 12, and people were just walking by him . 
He was skeletal, dying there on the sidewalk. 
And so I thought of AIDS when I saw the log. 
I thought of the closet. 
Because, like the log,
The people are not seen. 
But now,
The log that is plain as day, but unnoticed 
Is God. 
Of course. 
And as I contemplated the log, a flock of geese flew overhead. 
I understand that metaphor. 
They take turns leading. 

In my living painting I saw three sets of geese, flying in perfect V's with one goose struggling and straggling to find his place. They were three sets yet flying together. As weird as it might sound I thought of the BA forums (accessible through http://www.bridges-across.org , Discuss! (SteveS BBS) And Discuss!@The Waterline (my mirror of SteveS BBS…with his permission of course.) They are all populated by people on a pilgrimmage. Maggie, Steve and I all have a burden that no one be over-looked. 

Maggie's metaphor fits in perfectly here. People completely ignore the hurting and dying. They walk by and don't care. They have blinded themselves to their own callousness. Therefore they can't see Jesus, lifting the head of the dying one and rocking him gently with tears cascading over his face. Maybe some of those on the Journey will notice and be Jesus to the unseen people, because they had Ears to Hear His call, and Eyes for the unseen. 

The Call is Answered

To finish, through all this, the Lord brought all these symbols and meaning to me in a Living Painting because He wanted to show me that I was on target. I think he said to me on that bridge "You are exactly where I want you," "You are doing good." 

Is it ok to cry as much and as often as I do over gays who don't know Christ? Is it ok to cry as much and as often as I do over people living with or dying from AIDS? Is it ok to cry as much and as often as I do over the Church and Her response? 

Yes, because that is what Jesus is doing. Hugging, loving, serving, interceding, sacrificing, boldly and humbly presenting God's Heart. 

It isn't about one person, it is about God, His people and the one's He is desperate to Love. Jesus paved the way and Is The Way. Why aren't we following when He leads us to the gay community? 

Will you fly with me on the Winds of His Spirit? Will you seek to reflect His Glory and love? Will you help me lift the darkness presented by the Dead and our Adversary? 

Later observations 11/21/98

I felt terrible about the trees and could not get past the fact that bridge or no bridge the water still met underneath it making it one body. I would like for it to be seperate because it would be easy. However, the Lord said, I think , That He Is the Lord of the Resurrection and that there is hope to resurrect the dead trees, the dead Church. 

Meaning the dead church can be brought to Life by His Power. She can make amends because we are supposed to be there to help her.






 
 
 

 


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text © 1998 Randy Thomas
http://www.bridges-across.org/ba/intros/thomas_randy.htm

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