Many years ago when I was in college, I read a book that addressed the subject of service to others. I’m guessing that the book was generally non-descript with the exception of one particular section. That one section made the book worth reading for me. Now I know that many times, stories shared by “preacher types” (and I used to be one of those) are manufactured in order to communicate a particular meaning or slant designed to get those in the congregation to think or act in a specific way. I believe that the story to which I will refer is one of those. I would like to think that it really happened – that a person off the streets would have the moxy to do what the young man in the story did; however, I am of the opinion that the story was one of those manufactured ones. Perhaps a creative minister did indeed walk down a New York City street and see the “sign” referred to in the story which then inspired him to stretch the truth of the “sign,” but I will never know.
I get ahead of myself. Sorry.
To the Story: It seems that a young man was walking down a street in New York City when he passed in front of church. He looked up at the inscription on the cornerstone of the church and went inside to speak to the minister. When the minister came out of his office, the young man said, “I saw your sign outside, do you?” The minister, a bit confused, replied, “Sign? What sign? What do you mean?” The young man said, “‘Heal the infirm, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[ drive out demons. Do You? If you don’t, then don’t advertize.”
I found that story intriguing. Obviously, the inscription on the cornerstone was a verse from the Gospel of Matthew and not a sign advertizing anything . . . or was it?
How often in our daily lives do we “advertize” certain things about who we are; what we believe; what we value; what we promote only to act in ways that are completely counter to those assertions? How often do we talk peace, diversity, forgiveness, tolerance, acceptance, love and compassion only to live discord, restriction, intolerance, rejection, hate and cruelty? My concern is that it happens more often than we care to acknowledge.
The challenge posed here is that we all work to live more in accordance with those things we advertize – provided those things advertized are for the betterment of all people. We have way too many who live completely true to what they advertize and those who do so, more often than not, do so from a platform of self-absorption that creates chaos for all.
“Heal the infirm (of spirit, mind, body), raise the dead (those whose dreams, hopes, aspirations & opportunities have vanished), cleanse those who have leprosy (those whose lives are beseiged by that which would destroy), cast out demons (remove those beliefs, ideologies, values that possess us to be heartless in our dealings with others).”
Peace!
Mark E. Hundley
