There is a story, told by Elie Wiesel, if I am not mistaken, which I wish to borrow. There was a man who used to go to the square each day, and as the masses gathered, would preach to the crowds. Faithfully he did this for a long time. Eventually the crowd slimmed down and after many messages from the preacher, the people finally stopped coming. Still the preacher came and faithfully proclaimed his message. All the while there was a little girl that used to sit on a wall not far from the square that observed all the happenings with the man. Curious as to the reason that the preacher kept coming back, she decided one day to go and ask him. “First,” replied the preacher, “I used to come and preach in hopes of converting them.” This the girl readily grasped, but she still seemed perplexed. Realizing this, he continued: “Now, I speak,” said the man, “so they won’t convert me!!!”
I am not a preacher, but I have the heart of preacher. I guess I would say, I am a Truth Proclaimer - speaking God's Word as I have been taught of the Holy Spirit by His Grace.
When I read this link, I was so moved by the statement, "Now I speak, so that they will not convert me."
I've been doing that most of my life - speaking to religious people who are interested in speaking "smooth things" - instead of the hard "Truths" of the Scripture.
It is particularly hard being a woman who not only speaks to whomever, regardless of gender, but also, of position, and/or credentials.
Men in leadership (and, I fully believe in the positional authority God has given a man over his wife, and of a pastor (male) over his flock, in particular, do not want a woman speaking Truth to an issue that he is on the other side of.
It is not lack of respect on my part, nor positional rebellion, but I speak because I "have" to speak. As Jeremiah said, (and I might add, my Grandfather being an itinerant preacher, doing street preaching in his day, born early 1900's, said the same), "fire in my bones."
So, thank you for posting this link to this story told by Elie Wiesel. It is a comfort and encouragement.
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8/17/08 10:50 AM
