“I APoLogiZe for these “Christians”

[UPDATE: My interview with Chloe Bradley.]

So I just got a Facebook message from reader Laura Maslin Bradley that said:

Hi, John.

Thought you would enjoy this picture of my daughter, Chloe Bradley (in green) — she is a junior at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA. Yesterday she was walking across campus and saw these protesters. She ran to the bookstore, bought poster board and a pen, made this sign, and stayed there for hours. I think what impresses me the most is that she had some civil conversations with the sign-holders, as well as with people who walked by. She even defended their rights to Free Speech.

We raised our kids in a Christian Left home before we had heard that term. We are so proud of her compassion and courage. You are welcome to share this picture.

And, just like that, today became a good day.

Thanks for sending me this, Laura Maslin Bradley. And with every last bit of my heart, thank you, brave Chloe in green. (Seriously: Grimly Quakerstein there doesn’t exactly look like a barrel o’ laughs.) And thank you, lovely-looking person hugging our brave Chloe in green. [MAJOR UPDATE!! That’s Elissa, Chloe’s first roommate at Evergreen State.]

And thank you, Shauna Bittle, for taking this extremely awesome photo.

And dudes with the signs: Really? This is how you choose to spend your spare time? This is how you think it’s best to go out into the world representing the God of love? C’mon, man. There’s no way you don’t know better than this.