February 22, 2015 ~ “Another Shoe Drops” from John Knox Kirk on Vimeo.

A sermon preached at John Knox Kirk of Kansas City, Missouri, on February 22, 2015.

Genesis 9:8-17
and Mark 1:9-15

Editorial note: I’m working on correcting spacing issues. Thank you for your patience in the meantime.

(Click above link for the Scripture texts upon which this sermon is based)

A friend of mine who lives in Chicago was on the El recently—
–traveling from up north down to the heart of the financial district.

The subway car was filled with the usual cross section of riders:
students and household workers,
old women and teenage boys.

Across from my friend, on the subway car, was a bench with two seats.
On one of them sat a “Wall Street type”,
wearing the usual business “uniform”—
–crisp suit, starched shirt, neatly knotted tie,
camel hair overcoat and immaculate wing tip shoes.

At one stop, a homeless guy entered the car—
–ratty sweatshirt and jeans and tennis shoes covered with duct tape,
holding a cup of coffee he was sipping silently.

The homeless guy headed straight for the empty seat next to Wall Street guy.
As the train made its way—stop after stop—the rocking soon lulled
the homeless guy to sleep, with a slight “lean” into the Wall Street guy.

Soon, the coffee cup slipped from the slumbering hand under the sweatshirt
and splashed to the floor, onto the duct-tape shoes…and, of course,
the wing-tips.

Well, Wall Street Guy, he just went off like a rocket:
“Get the hell off me!” he screamed.
You can’t just do this!
Pay attention for God’s sake! You bum!
You don’t just go spilling everywhere!
Stop it—it’s got to STOP!

///
“…It’s got to stop…” He lost it.
That’s what caught my attention, hearing this story.
We might want to think we’re not that callous, but really,
We all get to the end of our rope, don’t we?
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