Slay the Dragons.

I've written before about my dear friend and her husband and how I say he carries a baseball bat: how he steps and and protects her and shields her and makes it his duty to armor and protect her. I absolutely love this about him, and for her.

I talked to another friend today who gives her husband a morning good-bye with: "Go slay some dragons!" as he heads off to work. The words empower him from her lips, as she acknowledges the tasks he takes on during the day in order to protect and provide for her.

Today, I saw a need for another to do the same. To stand in the gap, to bring a baseball bat, to slay a dragon. Today I saw a guy with a really fancy car walk out and cuss a woman out because her fancy car bumped his. No scratches. But I have never seen a demonor more full of angst and uproarus and almost... evil... as his was. She was shorter, polite, and well spoken. He was well over six feet and cursing and calling her every name possible, hands flailing and temper full of firey rage.

I have never, never, never seen a man disrespect a woman so much.

And all I saw were many passerbyers who stood and watched her be belittled by a giant grunt. She held her ground, "Sir, you may not disrespect me. Sir, you intimidate me." And yet he continued to pervert the air with his lips, the space with his presence.

I wouldn't be able to live with myself today if I too, watched. If I too, saw and watched a woman disgraced. There was no one with her to stand in the gap, to come along her side and empower her against this monstrosity of a masculine figure who made it his job to ream her. She had done little wrong, an accidental tap on his bumper, which was reported, but again, no scratches.

How often to do we stand in the gap for injustice? How often are we Jesus at compassion's side? How often are we instead passer-byers who watch in omission? How often are we like the others of Jesus' day, who watched without word as he was crucified? Not their business? Pagh! Indeed! The honor of justice, of care, of human dignity, is our business. Is our call. Is our command!

Who are we, if not created for this at this time? Who are if we let injustice unroll?

Jesus calls. Jesus commands. Jesus quests:

Stand in the gap. Fight in justice. Be a Baseball Bat. Slay the Dragon.

___

P.S. If I ever have a car that is worth more to me than human dignity, please hit it with more than a baseball bat. Let my sights be on the individuals created by God, not the possessions created by man, and my heart show it forth.