BIBLICAL SCOUTS

The boy, the teacher and the preacher

Written By J. Order

           A boy walks into a church and sits down. Trying to draw no attention, he sits in the furthest seat away from anyone. Little did he know, his sly maneuver only attracted the eyes of the preacher. The preacher noticed the boy had a necklace with a gun hanging just below his neckline. With the boy being new to the pew and with his head bent low. The preacher took the chance to catch a glance of the boy surveying the stained glass window. He saw an opportunity to manifest an invitation to start a conversation. The preacher approached the boy and while pointing at the glass said, “do you know who that is, in that picture up there in the glass?” The little boy looked up and said, “ of course, that’s Jesus!” The preacher smiled and replied, “that’s right, and what’s your name son?” The boy responds, “I’m Cody, and I’m 10 years old.” The preacher, still curious about the necklace, felt the need to understand why this child had this violent weapon hanging around his neck for all the world to see. The preacher says, “I’m so glad you’re here Cody, glad to meet you and glad to get to know you, God works in mysterious ways, and maybe here and now, on this very day, God can bless us with some truth and wisdom that will shine light on mistakes we have been making, that we thought was always right. I can’t help but notice your necklace you have there and why do you choose to wear a gun?” The boy reaches up and grabs the necklace. He begins to sigh, as he clinches the gun with his hand. He then looks at the preacher and says, “2 years ago, when I was 8, I went swimming with my older brother and some friends. Everyone ran into the house from out of the pool, but I was last to get out, right behind my brother, but as I got out, I slipped. I hit my head and went unconscious as I fell back into the pool. My brother, right before he made it into the house, he looked back and saw me fall in. He jumped in and saved my life. My brother was my savior.” The preacher, sympathetic to the situation said, “oh wow, thank God he was there to jump In after you. That must have been a scary moment for you and your family. God must have been watching over you, perhaps to nudge your brother to look back and see you fall in.” Still confused about the gun necklace, he had to creatively make an assumption to focus back on the topic at hand. So he asked the boy, “so this gun necklace was your brothers?” The boy responded, “No, my brother was shot and killed a month ago, he was a victim in a robbery in our neighborhood. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time is what momma says. Right now, she is upset with God and I came here to ask him to forgive momma for feeling the way she does. But I wear this as a reminder of how he died.” The preacher, now almost speechless, yet overwhelmed with empathy says, “I’m so sorry son, for you and your family. Know that God will give your family comfort in time. But I’m still trying to understand why you choose to wear around your neck a man made device designed to kill. A device that killed your brother.” Cody looked at the preacher and saw his necklace, a cross for all the world to see. At that moment the preacher thought about the possibility of what was running through the boys mind. Would Cody be willing to switch out his gun necklace for a cross necklace and just as the preacher went to offer his cross necklace Cody spoke. He said, “sir, I see your necklace, a cross, a man made device designed to kill, that killed your brother Jesus, your savior. You are right sir, God works in mysterious ways, and maybe here and now, on this very day, God can bless us with some truth and wisdom that will shine light on mistakes we have been making we thought was always right. I will take MINE off and throw it away. If you are willing to take YOURS off and throw it away. See on any given day God can teach us something new. For he is truly the best teacher of us all. Amen.”