Click For Audio Version
The Shoes
For years, I held a Bible study for the community on Saturday mornings. Karen, though not from the area, was a one-time visitor. After the fellowship, she strolled out and across the parking lot with me, and mentioned that her larger, inner-city church was a good distance from our rural one.
Then, she shared an unforgettable story.
I have never seen Karen again.
I never learned her last name, but the story she told,
I will never forget.
Perhaps, you will feel the same.:
Church in an uproar —
Karen’s fellow-worshippers were in an uproar that particular Sunday morning, she relayed.
Seems their congregation was visited that day by a newcomer.
The newcomer was sitting in the front of the church, speaking loudly, and under the influence of alcohol. By anyone’s standards, was dressed inappropriately for church, and was intermingling mutterings with curses.
One parishioner whispered his feelings about all this to the next and on it went throughout the congregation. The whispered cry of “Look….even barefoot !”…carried the farthest.
Insult to injury, on top of everything, barefoot !..
.Seemed to be the final injustice meted out by this unwelcome stranger.
“Drunk !”
“Barefoot !”
“And in church !”
The whispers in the congregation let this unwelcomed one know beyond doubt of their feelings.
It got a little out of hand for a bit.
And then, the pastor came down from the pulpit and quietly sat beside the stranger.
Speaking not a word, but bending low, the pastor took off the shoes being worn
and put them on the barefoot visitor’s feet.
“Now, I am barefoot
and you have shoes,”
said the pastor simply.
No one else said a word, for there was nothing to say.
—-
I wept when I heard Karen’s story and I weep as I share it with all of you now.
I thought there could be no finer sermon that day,
then the one already given
with a pair of shoes,
…and a great deal of love.
I thought of Jesus.
I thought of us.
Somewhere,
someone needs our shoes
and our compassion.
May we each
pull off our shoes–
and step out —
in love.
_________
Note: if you enjoyed this you might also like The Forgotten Command of Jesus.