I got three spider bites last week. I have no idea where I was when I became lunch for the eight-legged creature. A spider bite is a mosquito bite multiplied by twenty. An ugly blister rose surrounded by a large blood red erratic pattern. It’s not a pretty sight. Then there is the itch. The worst itch I ever had occurred while I was preaching. There I was holding forth in front of my congregation when suddenly on the bottom of my foot in the middle of my arch screamed this incredible itch. I tried my best to ignore it. I was sure if I concentrated on my sermon it would fade away. It only got worse. How could I stop and say, “Excuse me folks while I take off my shoe and scratch?” I’m sure it was not my finest hour as I hid behind the pulpit and tried to pull my foot out of my shoe by holding the edge of the sole firmly to the floor with the other shoe.
One of the two times the word “itch” is in Scripture is referenced to “itching ears” – not quite the same context. However, maybe there is a lesson here. Often our itching ears delight us when they hear something very unkind and usually unchristian about someone we don’t agree with and so we pass it on. My email box fills with some very unkind things about politicians passed on by people I know are good Christians. I assume their itching ears have been scratched and they want to delight others. But they are things they would, I hope, never say to someone’s face. Oh, it is difficult to be a really good person, especially when we itch.
Written by Roger Bothwell on October 3, 2011
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org