Love and Hate at the MN State Fair

The "Great Minnesota Get-Together" has come and gone, a sure sign that summer has ended and this "winter" thing I keep hearing about will soon hit me like a Dairy Queen Blizzard to the face.  Jerrion and I had the pleasure of attending this fabled festivity on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  We parked in one of the many park-n-rides in Minneapolis and swiftly found ourselves on the bus to the fairgrounds.  Along with us on the bus were several giddy small children who kept asking every parent's favorite question, "Are we there yet?"  Their squeaky little voices rambled on with excitement about all the animals they would see, the rides they would scream on, and the sweets they might feast on!  Finally the bus came to a stop and all the families exited the bus and began the short walk to the ticket booth.

Amid all the excitement and cuteness of the families in front of us, I was truly dumbstruck by what greeted us just before the entrance gates:  "God hates you!"  "You're a whore!"  "Cover your nakedness!"

Now I don't know if it was Westboro Baptist or some other hate group-wannabes, but sure enough, there to protest everyone's fun was a small group of men and women carrying signs with the above phrases written on them.  Although I kind of agree with the last sign I mentioned (booty shorts, anyone?), to say that I was irate with the other statements would be an understatement.

The first image that came to my mind was Jesus knocking over tables.  Do you know what made Jesus angry in the Bible?  I mean really angry?  Angry enough to use words like "hypocrites," "brood of vipers," and "sons of hell" (Matthew 23)?  Jesus was infuriated by the spiritual authorities of the day who added to the Scriptures and condemned people without offering them grace.  Rather than calling the woman caught in the act of adultery a "whore" Jesus saved her from being stoned and then forgave her (John 8).  Jesus was harsh with judgmental people and merciful to repentant sinners.  He loves imperfect people and offers unmerited favor and inexhaustible grace.

Jerrion and I had a great time at the fair.  We sipped fresh-from-the-cow milkshakes, gawked at giant vegetables, petted alpacas, and learned more about the Minnesota culture.  It should be noted that 90% of the state fair here is related to food.  Oh, and next time you see someone spitting hate just remember that Jesus sacrificed his life because the opposite is true: God loves you.