I wonder if you have heard this story: There was a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs. He was hard of hearing and had no radio and he had trouble with his eyes so he read no newspapers, but he sold good hot dogs. He put up signs on the highway telling how good they were. He stood by the side of the road and cried: “buy a hot dog, mister?” And people bought. He increased his meat and bun orders, he bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade.
He finally got his son home from college to help him out. But something happened. His son said “father havent you been listening to the radio? Havent you been reading the newspapers? There is a big depression. The European situration is terrible. The domestic situation is worse” Whereopon the father thought “Well my son has been to college, he reads the newspapers, and he listens to the radio, and he ought to know”
So the father cut down on his meat and bun orders, took down his advertising signs and no longer bothered to stand on the highway to sell his hot dogs. And his hot dog orders fell almost overnight. “You are right son” the father said to the boy, “we certainly are in the middle of a great depression”
How many times are we told in scripture that we are in this world and not of it. How many times are we told to follow the Holy Spirit, to do God’s will . But how many times each day do we listen to the naysayer and follow what the world is telling us and not what God is telling us. This story is a good example of following the world and not what is right and what we are called to do and be. It can be depressing if we listen to the loud clatter of those who would tell us how to think.
Think back, how many times EACH DAY do you listen to and react to what you hear and see in this world. If that is your frame of reference, what a negative stressful life it can be. But I like to think that we, as Christians, and yes I am painting a broad brush, live in the Kingdom and are guided by a God who created us , loves us and wants the best for us.
We don’t have to look far to see the ungliness and evil in this world. The uprising in Ukraine, slaughter in Somolia. But we can also focus on our own backyard. Children held as sex slaves. Fathers that killl their spouses and children. Public figures who seem to have everything, dying of drug and alcohol abuse. Doctors who perscribe medicines to those with influence to keep their business. Pharmacies that dispense more than the perscribed dosage “to do a favor” for the same reason.
So what are we to do, look the other way and say “that is not our problem?” Mayb we can take to the streets to protest what is wrong with our world. Or maybe we do as Jesus commanded his disciples to do, shine our light in the world and bring people to Christ one at a time. By living in the world we are called to feed the hungry, give the thirsty something to drink, cloth the needy, take care of the sick (Matthew 25:34-37)
Jesus said, “enter through the narrow gate for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to distruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life and only a few find it.” My point is that we cannot save or change everything in the world, but we can influence the person in front of us, the people we meet each and every day. And most important, we can pray for all those who suffer, and yes, for those we may classify as evil. Pray for this world that the Prince of Darkness be defeated. That defeat will come because we have a weapon that cannot be stilled and that is love. The love that God has for all his creation, the love that we have as followers of Christ, that we show in all that we do. We must keep the faith!…Amen
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