Homeless
Man Preaches
It
was a cold winter Sunday, and the church parking lot was filling up quickly. As
Jake got out of his car, he noticed an area where fellow parishioners were
whispering and pointing among themselves. As Jake got closer to the area, he
saw a man leaning against the church’s wall, apparently asleep, or drunk.
The
man wore a long trench coat that was in tatters. His hat was pulled down low
concealing his face. His shoes were past well-worn with holes where his toes
poked through. Jake assumed he was another street person, so he walked past him
and entered the church.
A
group had gathered in the back of the church discussing the man leaning against
the church wall. Several people snickered and gossiped but no one bothered to
check on his condition. Then the opening cords of the entrance song began to
play.
After
the celebrant proclaimed the Gospel, the doors of the church clanged open. The
street person entered lurching down the center aisle with his head down.
Parishioners gasped and whispered, as he made his way into the sanctuary
heading straight for the pulpit, whereon he removed his coat and hat.
There
stood the pastor. The pastor was the street person. No one uttered a word
during a long pause.
The
pastor reached for his Bible and placed it on the pulpit. "Folks, I don’t
think I have to tell you what I planned to preach about today. How often have
you turned a deaf ear, or a blind eye, to the needs or plights of others
because you disregard their humble circumstances? But if you show considerateness
to the least of these it is as if you are doing it for Christ.”
Micah
6:8 - "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and
to walk humbly with your God.”
Comments
Post a Comment