His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a t-shirt
with holes in it, jeans and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his
entire four years of college. He is brilliant, kind of esoteric and very, very
bright.
He became a Christian while attending college.
Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church.
They want to develop a ministry to the students, but are not sure how to go
about it.
One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with
no shoes, jeans, his t-shirt, and wild hair.
The service has already started and so Bill starts
down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can’t
find a seat.
By now people are really looking a bit
uncomfortable, but no one says anything.
Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit
and, when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the
carpet. (Although this is perfectly acceptable behavior at a college
fellowship, trust me, this had never happened in this church before!)
By now the people are really uptight, and the
tension in the air is thick.
About this time, the minister realizes that from way
at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill.
Now this deacon is in his eighties, he has
silver-gray hair, and a three piece suit. He is a very godly man, very elegant,
very dignified, and very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts
walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can’t blame
him for what he’s going to do.
How can you expect a man of his age and of his
background to understand some college kid on the floor?
It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy.
The church is utterly silent except for the clicking
of the man’s cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can’t even hear anyone
breathing.
The minister can’t even preach the sermon until the
deacon does what he has to do. And now they see this elderly man reach Bill,
drop his cane on the floor; and with great difficulty he lowers himself and
sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won’t be alone.
Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister
gains control, he says. “What I’m about to preach, you will never remember.
What you have seen, you will never forget.”
Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible
some people will ever read.
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