This file was submitted by Lanette Curington.
HIS NAME IS BILL
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. Kinda
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 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
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 the deacon
is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, a three-piece suit,
and a
pocket watch. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified,
very courtly.
He walks with a cane and as he starts walking toward this boy,
everyone
is saying to temselves, 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
people are
thinking,
The minister can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does
what he
has to do. And now they see this elderly man drop his cane
on the
floor. 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 just seen, you will
never forget.