[1]
Mark 9:38-40
Good News Translation
38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw a man who was driving out
demons in your name, and we told him to stop, because he doesn't belong to our
group.”
39 “Do not try to stop him,” Jesus told them, “because no one who
performs a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say evil things
about me. 40 For whoever is not against us is for
us.
In 1979, we had just joined Atlantic Union College in
Massachusetts. When we went to church on Sabbath, an elderly gentleman approached
to me and asked, “Are you Wil Clarke?”
“Yes indeed,” I admitted, somewhat puzzled.
“I’m delighted to meet you in the flesh!” he said and threw
his arms around me. “I’m Elder X and am retired here in South Lancaster.
It’s wonderful to have another missionary from Africa here!”
It never ceases to amaze me how a person’s brain can process
surprise information extremely rapidly. Within less than a second, my mind was
flooded with memories.
Eight years earlier, we had been at Ikizu Training School in
Tanzania for 5 years, and it was time for my salaried nine-month furlough. In
June 1971, I had received a letter from Pastor X, treasurer of a division of the General Conference. It stated categorically that I
had no furlough coming since I had only worked for the division for a year and a
half. The Tanzania Union (TU) had been transferred from the another division to
this division a year and a half before.
I showed this letter to Pastor Y, treasurer of the TU. Ikizu was a TU institution. He told me, “Don’t you worry.
You have earned this furlough, and we’re not going to let him take it away from
you!” Letters went back and forth between X and Y. I never saw
those letters, but Pastor Y kept me informed as to progress. He sighed
several times as he told me that the responses he got from X were not
even Christian in spirit .
Finally, a committee overruled him, and I got my furlough.
Here he stood with his arms around me. I felt like throwing
up. I had the overwhelming urge to tell him what I thought of him.
By God’s grace, I returned the Christian embrace and said
with all the enthusiasm I could muster, “Brother. It’s great to meet you!” We
chatted for a few minutes, catching up on our African experiences.
Thank You, Lord,
that friends are better to have than enemies; and we won’t have any enemies in
heaven.
[1]
https://www.amazon.com/Avinu-Apparel-Love-Your-Enemies/dp/B093QYKGVN
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