Love Without a Thought

His name will be Sam for this article. He sold parts to auto stores and dealerships and had the perfect personality for the task. A large happy man who would talk to a fence post and joke with the Pope if given a chance.

A District Attorney in Oklahoma City decided to set a trap to round up and try all of the homosexuals in the city and my friend Sam stumbled in while being one of the most non-homosexual people I have ever known.

For many years Sam always stayed in the Huckins Hotel when in the city. He did so because the Huckins had a parking garage attached which made it possible to park on the same level as your room. Sam had a bad back, and no one had thought of putting wheels on luggage back in those dark ages. A few months prior to the trap Sam had started staying in a different motel so he could park in front of the door to his room.

He found out the Huckins hotel was going to be imploded and a nearby restaurant was closing so he went for a last meal and then stopped at the hotel to say goodbye to the staff who were his friends. He went to the public restroom and of course there was a plant there who struck up a conversation with Sam—that did not take a rocket scientist to accomplish. The plant asked if Sam stayed in the hotel and of course heard the story of his new location. Sam had no idea this hotel was known as the place homosexuals gathered so engaging in joking and locker room talk seems natural and harmless until that night when the police came to his motel room and arrested him for being a homosexual. Not for doing any homosexual act but just vaguely sounding like he was.

After months of silent agony Sam and his wife came to my office to tell me the story and the date of his trial. He was absolutely sure his life was ruined. No matter the verdict if anyone even heard of his arrest his career would be over and he would face a life of shame and rejection.

This happened in 1968, long before homosexuals were coming out of the closet. In ’68 they were buried so far underground a closet sounded like freedom. About the only thing anyone knew about homosexuals was some very gross names to call them.

I attended the trial and I have never seen a prosecution with less evidence to present. One of their biggies was that Sam had a copy of Playboy magazine in his briefcase. And I have never witnessed a worse case of defense than that presented by Sam’s lawyer. All he seemed to know how to do was make the judge angry.

The case went to the jury at the end of the day and I knew without a doubt that Sam would be found guilty the next morning.

I had a very sad meal with Sam and his wife before driving home that night. I arrived back after nine that evening and immediately began calling five men who I knew to be very close friends to Sam and asked them to come to the church office.

I had no idea how any of these men felt or thought about homosexuals. I really had no idea how I felt or thought about them myself I had never had an encounter of any kind with the issue.

When the men gathered, I told them Sam’s Story and simply said that I hoped some of them could find a way to go with me the next morning to be with Sam when the verdict was read. Without a thought or a moments pause all five said they would meet me in the parking lot the next morning and all five did just that. All the way to the city no one said a word about homosexuality, so I still had no idea how any of them felt or thought. It did not matter, a friend needed them, so they arrange to miss work and be there.

That happened fifty-two years ago, and I still can’t tell or write about that story without being touched to tears. I can still see the look on Sam’s face when five men walked into the foyer of the court and hugged their friend. I saw love without a thought or a condition. I saw men actually doing what Jesus taught.

Sam was found guilty but together we got a suspended sentence out of a judge who was famous for not giving them and then wrote letters to Sam’s company and gave him a letter to show his customers and his life and career were saved.

Often, I ask myself how many times have I loved without a thought? How many times have I just accepted folks without condition? I think that is a most important question each of us should ask ourselves.

No matter who wins the election next month we face a divided country where love without thought may be the only hope for America.