KNLS

Merrie Harris is what you would call a trusting soul. And here is the reason: Harris is an executive with an advertising agency in New York City. A homeless man asked her for money to buy a bottle of water. Harris had no cash to give the man, so she took out her American Express credit card, told the man to use it to buy some water, and come back and return the card. Harris’ friends told her she did a very foolish thing. They feared the man would disappear and run up expensive purchases on the card. But about ten minutes after he borrowed the card, the man DID come back. And he returned the card. The only thing he purchased with it was a bottle of water. Harris smiled, gave the man a hug and said, I knew you would come back. I’m not sure why this story interests me, but maybe it is because a see a little something of Jesus in this woman. Jesus trusted people, and took them for what they were, and where they were. Some of those he trusted were not very trustworthy. Matthew, a disreputable tax collector. Peter, a crude, sometimes foul-mouthed fisherman. Even Judas, a man who betrayed him. Sometimes it is worth taking a chance on people, even though they might not have a good record of keeping their word or being worthy of our trust. Isn’t that what God does? He takes us back, again and again, when we sin, break our word, and prove ourselves unworthy of His trust. But, like the homeless man in New York, we are encouraged to do the right thing when people give us just one more chance to get it right. That’s what Jesus did with his disciples. And they did get it right. They went out and changed the world.