Maybe one of the greatest things about my calling as a minister is having to answer the hard questions of life. So I am always talking with people in stores, schools, and banks. Today….it was in a bank! It was any other visit to the bank to deposit my WEALTHY paycheck (please notice sarcasm). I was filling out my slip and I overheard a conversation at the teller-counter…
“You wouldn’t believe what happens at my business on Sundays. The people from churches come to eat at my restaurant and they are drinking and cussing like they don’t care where they were just 20 minutes ago. And people wonder why I don’t go to church.”
This man complaining about church people, whom I have seen before, told me to go ahead of him. He leaves the room. My friend, the bank teller, told me to come forward. I slip my check over to her and tell her it is just a deposit. What you all have to know is that my church treasurer lady writes my name REV. David Gaddy. Maybe you already see where this is going! She looks down at the check, giggles, and looks up to me. Here it comes: “What do you think about all of this?”
All of a sudden a song popped into my head: “This is what it is, This is who I am, This is where I finally take my stand.”
What an awesome opportunity to have. To be able to share a little bit of truth and faith with other people.
I know what other people would say to these folks: “Well Christians are hypocrites…” or “These people just aren’t getting it…”
If you have said that, then you have to say that about yourself. I’ll be honest as Paul in the Bible was with us: I am the worst of all the hypocrites and often times I don’t do it right and don’t get it.
Here are my thoughts, because introducing this situation and not giving my thoughts or conclusion to the story would be mean. I answered:
“One thing you can count on is that people are going to be people. We all have many choices. We are not going to be perfect. Specifically for the issue of drinking, it is all about responsibility. Being out of control and drunk is the sin and stupid choice. Me personally, I choose not to drink so I am not tempted to do that. But having a drink is okay. Cussing is a matter of opinion, but I think our words should build up and not tear down. They can encourage someone or destroy someone. So we should be careful about what we say. However, I will say I cuss when I stub my toe…that is probably the worst pain ever. When I am extremely angry and by myself, I cuss. When I have a conversation with God, I have cussed. I'm not proud of these, but it even happens with me.
But thank God that God loves me despite me! He loves me just the way I am, but He also loves me too much to leave me there. It is the same for all of us. God is calling us into a new life and new relationship with him because of what Jesus did for us. When Jesus died on the cross, He died so we would not be slaves to the sins and screw-ups anymore, those temptations, and that pain. He does not call us to be perfect, but to be different. He wants us to be honest and open in our communication with him and become mirrors in this world of his love, healing and peace.”
I probably did not answer this in the best way and probably left some strings of thought left untied. But that is okay. I helped them to see God’s love and healing and hopefully left enough unsaid that they go and search out faith on their own.
So what say you? What do you think? How many people are mad at me now? HAHA!
