A guy named Bill . . .

I'd like to share a little story with you today about a guy named Bill. Bill is a pretty ordinary guy . . . a college student, very casual, with wild hair. He favours holey t-shirts, tattered jeans and walks around in his bare feet most of the time. You might call him a kind of a natural guy, a down to earth soul.

He's brilliantly intelligent, and very very bright, not that you would be able to tell by looking at him, but when he opens his mouth . . . wow. He became a Christian when he first started college. Right across the street from his college campus there is a very conservative church, attended by a fairly well to do conservative bunch of people. They have been wanting to develop a student ministry for a while now, but haven't been really sure of how to go about it.



One Sunday, Bill decided that he was going to attend a church service there. In he walks with no shoes, his tattered jeans, holey t-shirt and wild hair. He's a bit late getting there, so the service has already started, but that's no problem for Bill. He walks up the aisle towards the front looking for a place to sit. The church is completely packed and so he finally ends up plunking down on the carpet, right in front of the pulpit. You can hear a pin drop in the chapel. People are looking around them, seemingly quite uncomfortable with what's happened, but they keep quiet about it. You can cut the tension in the air with a knife.

All of a sudden an elderly man begins to make his way up the aisle from the back of the church. He's probably in his 80's or so. His hair is silver and thin, and he is wearing a lovely three piece suit . . . the chain from his gold pocket watch hanging "just so" out of his pocket. Elegant, very dignified, courtly . . . he walks with a cane and as he starts walking towards Bill, you can hear the people beginning to murmur to themselves. You can't really blame the elderly man for what he's going to do . . . they think . . . how can you expect a man of his age and background to understand some college kid on the floor.



It takes a long time for the man to reach the front of the church and the boy. Everything is suddenly very silent as the two come together, all eyes focused on the pair of them . . . breath held in anticipation of what is to come . . .

The man drops his cane and then, with great difficulty, he lowers himself to the floor and sits down next to Bill, having decided to worship with Bill so that he won't be alone. Everyone chokes up with emotion at having witnessed this beautiful exchange.



When the minister finally gains control he looks out at the congregation and says . . .

"What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget."

I like to think that the ground at the foot of the cross is even and smooth, allowing each one of us, irrespective of race, faith, wealth, intelligence . . . whatever . . . to stand level and next to each other there, all being equal and loved without reserve. It's a beautiful thing.



Just my thoughts this morning. I'll be in bed snoozing away when you read this. I'll be back tommorrow bright eyed and busy tailed! In the meantime here's a very tasty recipe for you to drool over.



*Buffalo Ribs*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

These are lip smacking, finger licking good!! This is the same sauce I use to make my baked buffalo wings, so I thought why not give it a go on some tasty pork ribs. Fantabulous!!!

4 to 5 pounds of rack ribs
(The ribs cut off from a pork loin)
4 TBS honey
4 TBS tomato ketchup
2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1 TBS hot pepper sauce (according to taste, more or less)
1 TBS Smoked Paprika with sweet red peppers and thyme
(I got mine at Marks and Sparks)



Pre-heat the oven to 200*C/400*F. LIne a large baking tray with tinfoil. Lay the ribs on top of the foil and then place into the heated oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

While the ribs are baking mix the honey, ketchup, Worcestershire Sauce and Smoked Paprika spice together with a whisk. At the end of the half hour remove the ribs from the oven and brush with the mixture. Return the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes basting with the sauce mixture every five minutes, until they are nicely glazed. Remove from the oven and cut into 3 or 4 rib width portions to serve. Pass the napkins!



Pop on over to The English Kitchen if you fancy a taste of a delicious Apple, Cheese and Blackberry Jam Tart!