NEITHER WOULD I [W, 4-15-20]

“DAILY” DEVOTIONAL-Listening for the Spirit

NEITHER WOULD I    [W, 4-15-20]

This is an old preacher story that I heard early in my career. I loved it and have repeated it often. Especially in bare form, it has the sound of an apocryphal tale, but it has the ring and depth of truth, too.

A rich old lady got bored. [Probably been stuck in stay-at-home quarantine.] She decided to take a trip around the world. In a backward third-world nation, her plane had some problems. She had to stay there as repairs were made. She wandered over to a fence. When she got there, she realized it was a leper compound. Inside, a young nurse was bathing a badly deformed leper.

“My God, girl,” the rich woman said, “I wouldn’t do that for a million dollars.”

The nurse smiled and said, “Neither would I.”

That is the Christ story, the story of sacrifice for others.

I think about all the nurses and doctors and EMTs and others who are taking care of Covid19 patients now as I hear again that story. Regardless of their religion or absence of it, they are repeating the Christ story, for what gives the Christ story power is that it is the human story. They are all saying, one way or another, “Neither would I.”

John Robert McFarland

“Love is the only rational act.” Morrie Schwartz

I rarely see anyone on my morning walks. We have a quiet neighborhood. Yesterday, though, I saw two dogs walking their people, each a block or so away, and a young mother, pushing a little blond boy, about a year old, in a stroller. We passed on opposite sides of the street. Mom was busy with her phone, but the little boy stared at me until I waved at him. Then he broke into the most glorious big smile. I think the afterglow of that smile can get me through another week or two. So if you do happen to see someone, smile. Even if you’re wearing a mask.

The Lone Ranger was way ahead of his time, except he had his mask in the wrong place.