ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD

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·         I came across this illustration in a book called “Classic Christianity” by Bob George.

You may well want to purchase and read the book yourself.          

·         “Imagine yourself in a large house, in which are living both deaf and hearing people. They are all mixed together, and you can’t tell by looking who is deaf and who has hearing. Sitting in a room by himself is a man. As you watch, you notice that he is tapping his toes rhythmically and snapping his fingers in time.

·                   You know what is happening. He’s listening to music, and obviously enjoying himself. His whole body wants to respond to what his ears are receiving. There’s nothing strange or mysterious about it.

 

      But now, let’s add a new person to the scene. One of the deaf persons opens the door and enters the room. He immediately sees the first man and walks over to him and smiles a greeting. The deaf man watches the music-lover for a few moments. ‘He sure seems to be enjoying himself,’ he thinks. ‘I think I’ll try it, too.’

So the deaf man sits next to the first man and begins to imitate him.

Awkwardly and haltingly at first, he tries to snap his fingers, tap his toes, and move like the person next to him. Everybody has some sense of rhythm, whether they can hear or not.

 After a little practice, he deaf man is snapping and tapping in time with the first man. He even smiles a little and shrugs: ‘It’s not that much,’ he thinks, ‘but it’s okay.

Let’s now add our final factor to the story. A third man walks into the room. What does he see? Two men, apparently doing the same thing.

But is there a difference?

Absolutely!

All the difference in the world! The first man’s actions are natural responses to the music he hears.

The deaf man is only imitating those outward actions–even though he can’t hear a noise. That is the difference between real Christianity and legalism!” 

- Few things bring as much delight as to know we have done what was right, said what was right, been what was right.  When we are a Jesus-person, when we are good ambassadors for Christ, it just feels good.

 

What I’m talking about is definitely easier said than done.  No less an individual than the Apostle Paul knew this.  And so when he wrote that letter to the church in Corinth that became the 13^th chapter of Corinthians, and made his list of virtues, he knew which virtue must be head and shoulders above all the rest. 

 

Which is also why he left no doubt by writing, “…and the greatest of these is love.”

 

He knew that hate comes easily and the kind of love that kills off prejudice comes hard. 

 

Knew how lonely it can be when we are impatient with each other, and unkind toward each other and are so full of pride we act the fool.  Knew that absolutely no one wakes up in the morning hoping that they will be discriminated against all day long.

 

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