A church on a West Indian island felt that the people around them were hard, cold, and prejudiced. So they sent a message to headquarters requesting an evangelist. But it contained the caution, “Don’t send us any ordinary evangelist. He must be a specialist. For no ordinary preacher can ever reach these prejudiced people.” Did you ever feel that way? Often I hear folks talk that way about their friends and neighbors. They think they are most prejudiced and very hard.
In that church was an illiterate man. While at headquarters a search was being made for the “specialist,” this illiterate man went to the elder of the church with the request: “Here’s my Bible. Would you kindly underscore all the great doctrines of the Bible, each one in a different color?” We will say he was to underscore all the texts on the second coming of Christ in red; everything on the nature of man and the state of the dead in green, and so on. Well, that was a two weeks’ job for the elder. And he wanted to put the poor ignorant man off. But the man kept insisting, until finally the elder acceded to his wishes and marked his Bible for him in the manner he requested.
In the meantime this illiterate man had learned from someone the titles and numbers of many songs in one of the evangelistic songbooks. Finally, with his marked Bible in his hand, and a stack of songbooks under his arm, he made his way to the city. He stationed himself on a street corner, and began to sing.
As he sang, somehow the loveliness of Jesus must have shown out through his countenance and voice, for a goodly number of people gathered around him. He passed out the songbooks. “We are singing No. I, ‘More About Jesus,’ “ he said smilingly. He had his songbook open. But the people did not know that he could not read a word. And they joined in the singing.
After they had enjoyed a good song service he turned to a gentleman standing beside him, a stranger, and said, “Take this Bible and read everything underscored in red, beginning with Genesis.” The man read a text, and then this illiterate man, though he could not read or write, explained the text. The friend read the next text marked in the same color. And the illiterate man explained it also. And thus they continued until they had finished the lesson for the night. Then he announced when he would return. In this manner he completed a series of meetings. While the church was looking, longing, and waiting for the “specialist,” this illiterate man had doubled the membership of the church. He learned the lesson that all must learn – that of himself he could not win souls to the Master. So he looked to God for help, through Jesus; while others who were wiser, better educated, and probably more dignified did practically nothing.
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Source: PATH TO THE HEART, Glenn A. Coon, copyright 1958 by Review and Herald Publishing Association
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[Original illustration at this number was moved to HolwickID #1060]