True Christianity
From Buffalo River Indian Baptist Church
His name is Larry Lablanc. He has long hair, wears a ribbon shirt,
jeans and cowboy boots. He became a Christian recently. Near downtown
is a well-dressed, very conservative large church. One Sunday, Larry
decides to go there. He walks in with old boots, worn jeans, ribbon
shirt and long dark hair. The service has already started and Larry
starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely
packed and he can’t find a seat. By now people are feeling a bit
uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Larry gets closer and closer
to the pulpit and realizes there are no seats, so he sits Indian style
on the carpet. Acceptable behavior back home, but it had never
happened in this church.
By now the people are very uptight, and tension is thick. About this
time the pastor realizes that from the back of the church a Deacon is
making his way down to Larry. The Deacon is in his seventies, silver
gray and a dark suit. Very dignified. Everyone is saying to himself or
herself that you can’t blame him for what he is about to do. How can
you expect a man of his age and background to understand some young
kid from Oklahoma sitting on the floor?
It took time for the old man to reach Larry. The church is silent. The
pastor can preach the sermon until the Deacon does what he has to do.
Now they see this elderly man get down slowly and sits next to Larry
so he won’t be alone. Everyone chokes with emotion.
When the minister gains control he says, “What I am about to preach,
you will not 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.”
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