I have been reading the sermons of Peter Marshall, the wonderful minister and Chaplain of the US Senate who was portrayed after his death in the very popular book and movie of the early 1950’s, “A Man Called Peter.”

        In one of his sermons he relates a story from Rough Justice, by C.E. Montague. The story is so profound that I thought it should be shared. It deserves our full attention so I will quote it here word for word:

        “One of the memorable scenes in an English novel of some years ago describes how a little boy named Bron goes to church for the first time with his governess.

        He watches with interest every part of the service and then the preacher climbs into the high pulpit and Bron hears him give out a piece of terrible news.

        It is about a kind and brave man who was nailed to a cross…. ferociously hurt a long time ago…. who feels a dreadful pain even now, because there was something not done that he wants them all to do.

        Little Bron thinks that the preacher is telling the story because a lot of people are there and they will do something about it.

        Bron is sitting impatiently on the edge of the pew. He can hardly wait to see what the first move will be in righting this injustice. But he sits quietly and decides that after the service someone will do something about it.

        Little Bron weeps…. but nobody else seems at all upset. The service is over, the people walk away as if they had not heard the terrible news, as if nothing remarkable had happened.

        As Bron leaves the church, he is trembling.

        His governess looks at him and says ’Bron, don’t take it to heart - someone will think you are strange.”

 

        Oh, for us all to feel like Bron. Oh, for us all to be “strange”. I know I’m not “strange” enough. There are people who I know who are not saved that I have not talked with yet about Jesus. You and I were not given the future of a wonderful eternity with God just so we could sit around feeling secure and being thankful, while others around us are lost. Yes, the politically correct thing to do is to not intrude on others’ beliefs. But a soul’s eternal future is way too important to stand on political correctness. It is so important that it is worth being ”strange”. What about you? Are you strange?