A Living Bible

      His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in
it,  jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire
four years of college. He is brilliant, kind of esoteric and very, very
bright.   He became a Christian while attending college.       Across
the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church.
They want to develop a ministry to the students, but are not sure how to
go about it.  One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes,
jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so
Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat.
    The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat.   By now,
people are really looking a bit  uncomfortable, but no one says anything.
 Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes
there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. (Although
perfectly acceptable behavior at a college fellowship,
trust me, this had never happened in this church before!)  By now the
people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.
About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the
church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill.  Now the deacon is
in his eighties, and has silver-gray hair, and wears a three-piece suit.
He is a godly man, very elegant, very dignified very courtly.  He walks
with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying
to themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do.  How can
you expect  a man of his age and of his background to understand some
college kid on the floor?   It takes a long time for the man to reach the
boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's
cane. All eyes are focused on him.  You can't even hear anyone breathing.
The minister can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he
has to do. And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor.
With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and
worships with him so he won't be alone.  Everyone chokes up with emotion.
            When the minister gains control, he says, "What I'm about to
preach,  you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never
forget.   "Be careful how you live. You may be the only 'Bible' some
people will ever read".