THE HOLY INTIMACY OF STRANGERS
Chapter One
MOMENT OF TRUTH
One Sunday morning after a church service, I
was meeting with members of my congregation when someone came
and whispered to me that there was a strange man waiting in the
vestibule. He wanted to see the minister. I knew what that meant: he
wanted money, of course, and what better time to be sure to catch the
minister at church than on a Sunday morning?
I left the meeting. As I approached the man, I could smell the alcohol
on his breath immediately when he spoke. He said, "I want to pray
and to turn my life over to Jesus."
Sure you do, I thought, feeling less than charitable and wishing I
was anyone but the minister at that moment. I explained that the congregation
was gathering for a meeting and suggested that he might find
someone available at another church down the street. "No," he said.
"That doesn't matter. I just need to be able to pray right now. I have
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