Yesterday I pondered whether I’ve ever been such a bad example of Jesus-follower that I’ve turned people away. Or, as Paul told Jewish people in Rome who received his letter, “You are the reason Gentiles hate our God.”
I’m thinking of a couple of “old guys” who influenced me just by being them.
I have to preface the story with history. Back in the old days when I was in high school and college there was a job called “milk man.” That was one way I earned money to survive in college. I delivered milk and dairy products to people’s homes.
Clarence lived in a big house on a hill out in the countryside. He lived alone. Probably was in his 70s. He was uneducated formally, but actually he was quite educated. He had a observatory in his upstairs. He’d sometimes startle me when I dropped off his order of milk (for his cats, I think). “What’s the morning star today?” We didn’t have long conversations. He presented many thought provoking questions.
Joe still ran marathons in his 70s. Not fast. But he finished. He clued me into some challenging books as we discussed ideas in the steam room after a workout. He also was not “educated”; but he actually was.
I’m the “old guy” now. The challenge is to be like those guys and others I’ve known. What about you? Learning? Teaching?
Faith Venture 
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