When searching for Whitney, it was worldly bank officers who looked into her account for clues. The gas station attendant viewed the security tape. Children playing in a field find the cell phone. The police conducted TV updates and appealed to the public for help. The Sheriff, FBI, and local police searched the mountain where the body was eventually found.
Once Whitney was found, a memorial was set up at Starbucks by non-Witnesses. In fact, this memorial was the "largest display of emotion in Portland's entire history." Also, people hugged Witnesses who came knocking at their door in field service.
In preparing for the memorial service, someone donated a large wedding tent for the public memorial. The floral shop donated and filled the KH with flowers -special ordering them from Hawaii. Wal-Mart donates 4,000 sandwiches. Albertsons and Safeway also make donations of food.
During the memorial service, strangers line up from noon to 7pm for the memorial. Starbucks employees donate three large boxes filled with money for the family. Other strangers give gifts of flowers, cards, and money.
Weren't you personally impressed, not by the witness given by Jehovah's Witnesses, but by those in the community? Look at what an extraordinary show of love the "worldly" community had for those who knew and loved Whitney.
Yet, how could the show of love and support given by these worldly people even compare with the World Headquarters of Whitney's own faith, the "true Christian brotherhood"? Surely, you would expect the billion-dollar Watchtower and Bible Tract Society to easily surpass the love shown by the local community. What witness did Watchtower give? Our writer answers, "The Society got involved and had the circuit and district overseers come and serve Clint’s congregation this week – the district overseer also gave the private memorial talk on Saturday." Watchtower redirected the schedules of their local circuit and district overseers.
You just can't compare the love of Watchtower with the love of the "worldly" community, can you! The "worldly" community cares so much more!
The world is demonized by Jehovah's Witnesses. We were all taught and told that we wouldn't have any love or support if we ever left the organization. We know they're wrong; however, Whitney's community gave an awesome witness and proved by their actions that Watchtower is a liar! There is certainly evil everywhere in the world; however, that doesn't mean that everyone in the world is evil.
And here's the kicker: By now, I'm sure the congregation is getting back into the swing of things. Undoubtedly, they're zealously going from door-to-door proclaiming a message that eventually involves learning that Jehovah and Jesus will soon mercilessly kill everyone who does not share the Watchtower faith -including all those strangers who gave support and love to a young, beautiful woman and those of her family and faith.
This Facebook posting says much more than the writer intended. It shows that there is a world filled with loving people outside the Watchtower. Jesus says, "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” If that is the case, then there are many of Christ's disciples living outside the Watchtower. I find that encouraging.
Maybe the writer of this post subconsciously recognizes this fact. Even he acknowleges, "It was indescribable, an incredible experience for all of us. I was amazed how people who came that didn’t even know Whitney, but simply felt a need to be here and comfort the family. So many were coming in, they simply couldn’t be counted. But we estimate that there were between 3,000 and 4,000 people that came."
Whitney's death was a senseless tragedy. I hope her murderer gets the severest penalty for his crimes. Nevertheless, if there's any good that can possibly come from such a horrible story, maybe it's from the loving example that this community showed. The true witness came, not from the Kingdom Hall, but from strangers in the community. Hopefully, due to the love they showed, many seeds of cognitive dissonance were planted into the minds of Witnesses worldwide. Hopefully, a few of those seeds will grow and some will awaken.
