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A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?" The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way. I wrote: 'Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it.'"
How we tell the truth can make a difference in life. As I watch the news, I am moved by true stories told by reporters that enable us to see beauty in life - even in the midst of this pandemic. Now, the beauty does not take away the reality of the suffering -- but often, the acts of beauty are in response to the suffering.
The story above is one I thought about for a while. The man certainly helped the blind boy by reworking the wording of his sign, so others might have more compassion and share some of what they had with him. Maybe the words brought home what it would be like not to have our sight - we could be surrounded by beauty, but never be able to perceive it.
This Sunday we are beginning a new series of sermons called "Stand Firm." The title comes from the words of Scripture Paul writes to help us stand firm in challenging times. This Sunday we will be talking about truth - what it is and how it can help us stand firm, even in the storms of life. Join us online and invite someone who may be facing challenging times to join us, as well!
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