If You Don’t See It Running

At a church Board of Trustees meeting, they were talking about the boiler. I know about as much about boilers in church buildings as I do about the inner workings of the Large Hadron Collider and the Higgs boson particle.

I was trying to keep quiet.

But at least I was paying attention and generally following the discussion.

So it was that I heard one of my favorites in the group say something that had me reaching for my pocket notebook.

This is a guy who can pretty much do anything, and what he can’t do himself is easily remedied with one phone call or text to a friend somewhere, usually within the USA but not always. He’s brilliant, doing beyond quite well in life with several business interests, and frequently wears what some would consider a janitor’s uniform. Is it a disguise, or is he wearing it ironically, or is he just wanting to be comfortable? Maybe you know someone like him.

“If you don’t see it running,” he’d said, “it’s probably stopped.” The others were thoughtfully nodding while I scribbled that down. He had clarified the situation and brought the group to a conclusion. It was time now for action.

“By your fruit you’ll know them,” Jesus says in Matthew 7:20.

Often the truth is simple and obvious. Sometimes painfully so.

What do others see when they look at your life, and how you’re living out your faith, and how you’re living out of your faith?

“If you don’t see it running, it’s probably stopped.”