We had an interesting experience today at Denny’s. While waiting for our order we watched a server prepare a table for the next customer. First she cleared off the dishes and then she very carefully wiped the seats. Following that she then wiped off the table using the same cloth she had used to wipe off the seats. At least it looked clean. But wait. It gets better. The next customer to use that table had really nasty looking sores on his elbows and I’m sure you know what happened. He sat down and promptly put his elbows on the table. I am amazed we are as healthy as we are. The human body does a great job in fending off all manner of germs.
As I watched the man with the nasty looking elbows I found myself wishing that it would be as easy to spread the Gospel as it is to spread germs. That really is a horrible analogy. The Gospel is the best thing ever and I shouldn’t even put it in the same sentence with germs. One brings health and never ending life while the other brings misery, suffering and death. But wouldn’t it be grand if we could sneeze and spread the Good News like we spray colds and the flu?
I have always wanted to be an infectious Christian. Yawning is infectious. A few good yawns in a classroom will produce more. A good smile usually produces more smiles. Kindness usually begets more kindness. Those, of course, are merely human behaviors. What I really desire is something much more substantive. I long for people to understand just how self-sacrificing and wonderful God is. That’s a much more difficult task.
Written by Roger Bothwell on August 30, 2011
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org