Several months ago, the preacher said it from the pulpit. It didn’t sound rehearsed, sort of spontaneous, off the cuff, like he just needed in that moment to get out what was bugging him.

Normally, a real high-spirited, happy-go-lucky, almost hyper-happy guy who doesn’t show anything but positive emotions, he said, “We’ve got to slow down, we’ve got to slow down, to breathe deeply and let it go, everything. Just let it go. Just let it go.”

I think we were all waiting for him to tell us to take it to Jesus in prayer, but he just wandered back to his seat behind the pulpit and forgot to announce the offering. The preacher is never, ever supposed to forget to announce the offering.

At first, the congregation shook their heads in affirmation but then wondered what was going on in the preacher’s life — a normal response for a nosey species prone to looking for the worst and fodder for the rumor-mill.

But he was exactly right, wasn’t he?

The marketplace is filled with stuff to make life easier and the 900 lb. oxymoron in the room is that all that stuff bought to make life easier complicates it at a very high price, and not just in materialistic terms.

If life is so much easier and we have so much more time on our hands (which would be the logical conclusion), for instance, why are the roadways filled with rude, impatient, ill-tempered, speeding drivers who only know the one fingered, universal sign of peace? Why is there so much road rage?

But we don’t have more time, do we? I’m just asking.

An article promoting good, emotional health suggests not watching the daily news. Apparently, there is a lot of murder and mayhem going on worldwide. Perhaps not watching the T.V. and movies at all would be a really good idea, too.

Then there was the ad that came across the internet promoting a line of clothing, the True Religion brand, for men, women and the kiddies. Put on the True Religion brand and you will be in heaven. Don’t take the kiddies to Church school, just buy them the right brand.

Could any of this indicate a spiritual bankruptcy that the preacher might have been hinting at?

So, I mentioned this to someone in passing and got jumped on. “Don’t take offense,” I told this person, “I’m just asking, really. Why are you threatening to sue me? Oh, you just bought a pair of True Religion undies and I’m mocking your purchase?

“Well, if your undies feel like heaven, why are they in such a scrunch? Not experiencing the raising of the dead?” — (to steal a clever quip by a friend).

“Hey, that was a joke. Really. Don’t hit me.

“Hey, if you do, I’ll sue you because wherever we are right now, this is being video taped and we are being watched.

“Dude, don’t go away mad.”

He jumped in his car and sped away, horn blasting, finger flying.

I’m just saying.