Real Power

Caspar Milquetoast was an early twentieth century character from the newspaper comic pages. His meek ways even found their way into American dictionaries.A milquetoast is someone who is inconsequential, timid and inoffensive.

 To many people, including myself, this word describes the kind of person that St. Matthew and St. Luke have in mind when they relate the story about how followers of Jesus should "turn the other cheek" or offer their tunics to someone who has taken their cloak.

How wrong I have been! Yesterday, a friend explained her minister's take on the verses at services last week. It all comes down to choice. If the victim chooses to give the cloak or offer the other cheek, the response changes from one of submissiveness to one of power. We are always in charge when we make a choice.

The gospel account does not degrade the dignity of the person involved, but raises it by encouraging the victim to shift the balance of power instead. I see this truth lived out in the story of Oklahoma's Grand Dragon of the Klu Klux Klan, Johnny Lee Clary and his encounter, in the late 80's, with the head of that state's NAACP, Rev. Wade Watts. Every hateful thing Clary said and did to the black minister was turned aside and ignored. In his story, The Dragon and the Preacher, Clary describes a particularly galling phone call:

Clary: "I want you to know we're coming to get you," I hissed when the Reverand answered. "And this time we mean business..."

Watts:"Hello Johnny Lee!" he said, as though hearing from a long lost relative. "You don't have to come for me, I'll meet you. How about at a nice little restuarant I know out on Highway 270? I'm buying.

Clary: "This isn't a joke old man. We're coming over and when we're finished, you'll wish you'd never crossed us".

Watts:"This place has the best home cooking you ever tasted. Apple pie that'll make you long for more. Fluffy mashed potatoes. Iced tea in mason jars..."

Clary: I slammed down the phone. "He wants to take us out to dinner, " I said in disbelief. "Talked about apple pie and iced tea."

"The old man's gone crazy," someone said. "Let's forget about him."

Some years later, in the midst of depression and about to commit suicide, Clary spied a Bible in the room, started reading and gave his life to God. Later, he called Rev. Watts and told him that he was now a member of an interracial church. The minister said, "...I've never stopped praying for you. Would you do me the honor of speaking at my church?"

Milquetoast? Hardly.