MUSINGS: Pastor Shares Lesson Learned From Judging

LITTLE ROCK — Chuck Swindoll, a writer and pastor of one of Texas’ largest churches, relates a story worth repeating.

Swindoll was conducting a conference with hundreds in attendance. His attention was drawn to a couple in the audience. The wife was alert, attentive and seemed to reap the gems of the conference. The husband invariably slept during the lectures and apparently was the bored companion. He slept in both the morning and evening sessions. This went on for the entire week and Swindoll’s attitude was one of disgust.

Prior to the closing session the wife of the man asked if she could visit with the speaker briefl y and Swindoll complied. “My husband has been told that he has incurable cancer and he expressed the wish that we attend this meeting,“ she said. “You are one of his favorite speakers and he wanted to spend some of his money so that we could be here. Unfortunately themedicine he takes for pain, causes him to sleep and he has a hard time staying awake.”

Swindoll’s reaction: “I was severely rebuked. I judged a man without knowing the circumstances.”

I suppose this is a good lesson for all of us. Who was it who said, “Never judge a person until one has walked a mile in his shoes?” WILL HEAVEN HAVE A MUSEUM?

I have just completed at 500 page book on heaven written by Randy Alcorn. His conservative view boggles the mind with questions I never even dreamed of.

I believe there is one question he does not deal with and that is whether there will be a museum there? Some interested speculations:

Could there be some dull objects on sparkling cloths depicting (the value of a bird) worth two mites?

Would there be a boy’s lunch of loaves of bread along with two little fish?

How about a cup of cold water? Or a broken vase?

There could be some spikenard used at Mary’s house.

The thought occurs that these things do not have a lot of monetary value in today’s market. Why would they be there? Because they were given out of hearts of love. What can I give? What do I give?

Do we haggle over our tithe - computed on deductions - before or after tax income? Do we lament on whether we can sing a beautiful solo? Do we long to have thousands to give?

Am I sending anything ahead - fit for the museum of heaven? Like my first tithe from selling newspapers? I guess we’ll not know until we first stroll through the imagined museum.

THE REV. ANDREW HALL HAS BEEN AN ORDAINED PASTOR FOR MORE THAN 70 YEARS. HE SERVED FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF FAYETTEVILLE FROM 1952 TO 1970. HE NOW PREACHES AT ELKINS COMMUNITY CHURCH ON THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH.