THE SINNER AND THE SAINT
By
-Daniel-
©
Though we be apart,
we are but a heartbeat away.
I have come to share a Truth
upon this blessed day.
Within the city of Righteousness lived two men;
one who was deemed a saint, while the other was
judged a sinner.
The saintly man lived his life by the righteous
word of the holy scriptures.
Weekly did visit the House of God to exalt His Glory
and to humble himself as he prayed that all others
might find the salvation that he had found.
A man of refinement and wealth was he and generously
did he give to the needs of the church that he so loved.
The priests and other good men of influence would often
sit and dine within his home as the course of his
charity was charted for those less fortunate.
Now the sinful man lived not his life as did the saintly one.
Uncultivated and crude was the world belonging to
the sinful one.
Often was he found in the company of the downtrodden and outcast,
drinking of their wine and crying with their painful woes of
wanton despair.
Upon a cold winter day, as the saintly man hurried through
the city streets on his way to worship, did he meet an
orphaned boy aimlessly wandering.
And the young boy pleaded with the saintly one...
"Please sir help me, for I am homeless and hungry
with nowhere to turn."
And the saintly man quickly replied...
"I have built an orphanage for the likes of you.
Go there with my blessing and they will tend to
your every need."
Then he left the boy, for he was late for worship.
As he traveled on, he came upon a young woman forced to
sell to lustful men, the beauty of her charm that she
might live to see another day.
And the saintly one was outraged and spoke unto her...
"Woman, know you not the wages of sin?
You have sold the salvation of your soul for the glitter of gold!
Come with me at once unto the House of God and repent your
shameful ways!"
But the desperate woman ran away for she was, herself,
ashamed of her lot in Life.
And as the bells of the church called all to worship,
the saintly one saw an old man sitting on a bench,
shivering in the cold and the saintly man spoke to him...
"The bell has tolled and I am late but if you will
wait for me here, I will return and buy for you
a warm winter coat."
And straight away did he enter into the House of God
to exalt His Glory and to humble himself in prayer.
As the saintly man sat in silent worship, the sinful man
wandered also the same city streets.
And when he saw the old man shivering in the cold,
the sinful man remembered the bitter bite of nakedness
and without a word did he give to the man his own
coat to wear.
He traveled on until he found the young woman
and the tears of her shame touched his heart
for he remembered a time when he was forced to drink
of stagnant waters that he might live to see another day.
He spoke to her not of sin but of an innkeeper that
needed help in managing his business.
He spoke not of salvation but of room and board and
of a work that offered the wage of dignity.
Down the street did the sinful man walk and in the
eyes of the young orphaned boy did he see the lonely
hunger of his own lost childhood.
And as he placed his hand upon the boy's shoulder he said...
"Where you are, I have been and I would not have you
suffer as I suffered."
And together they went home as father and son.
Now in the spring, just prior to the Holy Week the
city was abuzz with talk of a great prophet who had
come to bless the City of Righteousness with his Light.
And the saintly man, along with the priests and other
good men of influence made ready to receive this
Prophet of God.
The saintly one sent forth an engraved invitation that
he might honor this prophet as a guest in his home and
as a teacher within the House of God.
But the prophet regarded not this man's plea and when
he did not come, the saintly one was much aggrieved
and set forth to find this prophet for himself.
All the city did he search and finally did he come to
find this master teaching within the home of the sinful man.
The saintly one could not believe his eyes and there was
anger in his voice as he spoke...
"I invite you to come into my home and into the
House of God, yet I find you here in this sinner's den,
teaching those who live not by God's Word.
Liar! False prophet!"
But the Prophet of God replied unto the saintly man...
"Within the span of one winter's day did I come unto
you three times and you regarded me not and now that
I return as Prophet, you would seek me out with the
gifts of honor.
That same winter's day did this sinful man come unto me,
bearing the holy gifts of Faith, Hope and Love.
And now I come unto him, who is a saint and I shall
teach within this House of God."