Death by Gossip
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RECORDISSN 0819-5633 VOL 95 NO 36 September 15 1990 2 07 1 Death by Gossip NAR No by Debbie Hooper n io t The Accused stands alone on the rough wood stage. The Crowd swarms lica b below. Were the Judge present, their dark thoughts would be exposed—like u rats under a torch's light. But the Judge has been away a long time. t—p s There's no Executioner—the Accuser executes. All in the Crowd have Po had their turn at it. Many times. ia l With a finesse born of experience, the Accuser mounts the platform. He tra s prides himself on knowing the difference between right and wrong, and his Au movements reek disapproval of the Accused. by d She's young, with the tormented eyes of one who's been a casualty too re often. She cowers, looking at no one. te is The Crowd watches with clinical detachment as the Accuser Reg ceremoniously ties the noose, then places it about her neck. Most have heard about this girl, and they want to see her punished. They are her punishment. They enjoy the scene. She's their prey. They laugh. They point their fingers at her—like sharp sticks. She writhes, but can't escape. She's centre stage. And the entire Crowd condemns her by stooping to even participate in such an event. Without hesitation, the Accuser blindfolds her. He prays over her—then flings the trapdoor open. At that moment a shout splits the air—"She's not like that." But it's too late. She gives one last kick of self-respect, then slumps in degradation. RECORD Official Paper The Rest of the Story Seventh-day Adventist Church South Pacific Division ast week we took a look at the story to testify. She told how in those three Editor James Coffin rt Associate Editors Gary Krause T of the woman caught in adultery— weeks she'd gone off drugs. For the first Bruce Manners the one to whom Jesus said, "Neither do time in her life she had hope. Assistant Editor Joy Totenhofer I condemn thee: go, and sin no There wasn't a dry eye as people Editorial Secretary Glenda Fairall Copy Editor Graeme Brown more." listened to her describe what she'd been, Illustrator Wayne Louk But in a flight of imagination I and how God, working through human Senior Consulting Editor Athal Tolhurst Correspondents Ray Baird, Lyn Bartlett, Terry suggested that at a church board meeting love, had transformed her almost over- Butler, Ray Coombe, Mau Kemo'o, Aisake Kabu, that night Jesus' action was reversed— night. Louis Solomon, Neroli Zaska Regional Reporters Robert Douglas, George that it was decided she definitely should From that day church members Drinkall, Eric Greenwell, Larry Laredo, Malcolm Potts, be stoned: to demonstrate the church's phoned her regularly to see how she was Leigh Rice, Lyndon Schick, Gordon Smith, Bill Townend abhorrence of sin, to maintain the fair faring. Every Sabbath she was invited out Local Reporters Church Communication Secretaries Subscriptions South Pacific Division, $A25.00 name of the church, to honour the pro- for lunch. One church member provided SNZ28.75. All other regions, $A48.25 $NZ55.50. Air visions of the church manual, and to a flat—rent-free. Another all but gave mail postage rates on application. Order from Signs Publishing Company, Warburton, Victoria 3799, keep the youth from accusing church her a car. Another offered her a job. Australia. leaders of double standards. Never had she been so well treated. She Manuscripts All copy for the paper should be sent to The Editor, RECORD, Signs Publishing Company. So the execution was carried out, and was overwhelmed. Warburton, Victoria 3799. Phone (059)66 9111. the woman was buried in the section of And it wasn't just the local congre- Telefax (059) 66 9019. Printed weekly by Signs Publishing Company. the local cemetery reserved for those gation. Other congregations invited her with no denominational affiliation. (She to speak at youth meetings, for women's Directory of the South Pacific Division of the had been officially disfellowshipped be- prayer groups, for church services. And Seventh-day Adventist Church, 148 Fox Valley fore the stoning.) Before many weeks at campmeeting she stood up before Road, Wahroonga, NSW 2076. Phone (02) 489 7122. (Legal Trustee: Australasian passed the incident was forgotten. 5,000 people and for 30 minutes de- Conference Association Limited. Secretary: Tom Then one Sabbath a woman wearing scribed the depths to which she'd Andrews, Assistant Secretaries: Richard Milne, Properties; Bruce Jackson, Finance.) garish clothes and lots of cheap jewellery fallen—and the heights to which she'd President Bryan Ball walked into the church and took a seat risen, thanks to the power of God and the Secretary Athal Tolhurst near the back. Her overdose of perfume help of her church friends. Treasurer Tom Andrews failed to hide the smell of stale tobacco. One day the transformed prostitute in- Associate Secretary Vern Parmenter Associate Treasurers Owen Mason, Lynray Wilson And her makeup couldn't mask the deep vited a church friend to accompany her Field Secretary Arthur Ferch lines on her face. to the funeral of a prostitute who used to Departments and Services: During the personal ministries period work the streets with her—the woman ADRA George Laxton (Director), Neil Hughes, one of the church members was telling had overdosed. Peter Truscott Adventist Health Don Bain (Director), Harley about his outreach and how he was They watched as the prostitute's un- Stanton endeavouring to share the truth with adorned coffin was slowly lowered into Adventist Media Centre Nat Devenish (Manager) those in darkness. the ground in the section of the cemetery Archivist and Statistician Roy Clifford Auditing Service Max Mitchell, Eric Hokin, Ernie Suddenly the garishly dressed, for those with no denominational affili- Moffitt, Neville Sawert cheaply bejewelled woman broke into ation. But as they turned to go, a grave Christian Services for the Blind and Hearing Impaired Ern Lemke sobs. "Excuse me," she blurted out, leap- that still wasn't grassed-over caught the Church Ministries Bryan Craig (Director and ing to her feet, "but I must find this truth attention of the now-transformed Sabbath School, Family Life), Barry Gane (Youth), Peter Jack (Personal Ministries), Jim Lansdown you're talking about. I have to find it." woman of the street. She stepped closer (Stewardship), Lynelle Chester (Children's Ministry) One of the church elders ushered her to see the name on the plain head- Communication, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Ray Coombe into the pastor's study, and her whole stone. Education Gerald Clifford (Director), Les Devine, sordid story burst forth. She was a prosti- "I've met that woman!" she exclaimed. Barry Hill, Ian Howie, Bob Spoor tute. She had been since she became a "In a pub, a few months ago. She told me Health Food Eugene Grosser (Director), Lance Rogers, Ray Windus mainline drug user at the age of 12. Life she was going to be stoned the next day Ministerial Association David Currie for her was sheer hell, and she simply by her church because she'd committed Nutrition Education Gail Ormsby had to find a way of escape. adultery. But wait! I'm sure she said it Publishing Bruce Campbell Risk Management Service Robert Smith (Manager) The elder called his wife. And when was our church that was doing it!" Trust Services Jim Lansdown his wife heard the horrors to which the Reluctantly, painfully, the church woman had been subjected, she put her member acknowledged what had hap- Cover: Debbie Hooper is a arms around her and invited her to come pened. volunteer worker in the Signs to their home. She didn't seem to even The former prostitute stared at her Publishing Company editorial notice the stench of tobacco or the heavy with unbelieving eyes. Then slumping office. makeup that dripped onto her nice onto the not-yet-grassed-over grave, she Sabbath dress as the poor woman cried. murmured, "Thank God that I fell into Three weeks later during the personal sin before finding the church rather than ministries period the prostitute stood up after." James Coffin. 2 RECORD Spetember 15, 1990 LETTERS Exclusive Seating top in the entire country. not, and even those didn't go should be I sympathise with N. Harrison (Let- 4. In the Year 10 exam, Kabiufa came involved in a post-event review and ters, "Please Be Seated," July 28). Over second in English, Maths and Science, evaluation. Suggestions from all three 30 years ago my husband and I moved to and first in the Social Sciences in the groups will help to guarantee that the a new area. One Sabbath we decided to Eastern Highlands Province—not in the next occasions are successful. Dare we take our children, then toddlers, to the whole country. ever take "ratings" for granted? Adventist church. No one greeted us or 5. Nationally, Kabiufa came 19th in John J. Dever, NSW. showed us to a seat, so we found a seat English, sixth in Maths, fourth in Sci- ourselves. We were soon asked to move ence, and 10th in Social Science in the Advertise! by the person who "owned" the seat. Year 10 exams. I'd like to see our churches better ad- We moved closer to the front, where 7. Kabiufa was the high school with vertised. On a recent visit to a country we enjoyed Sabbath school. The pro- the most improved Year 10 exam results town we tried to find out where the gram for the service was about to start in PNG.