We all may be able to help
October 25, 2010 (Monday)
In one of the professional games Sunday, a player made a big mistake. He received a pass, ran a while, then stumbled and fell without fumbling. No whistle blew, and no opposing player touched him, but he made the mistake of thinking that the play was over. So he stood up and left the football on the ground. (An opposing player fell on it, stood to his feet and ran several yards before being tackled). It was a mistake.
We all make mistakes.
Before the game ended, a member of the opposing team made a similar mistake. Must have been something in the air in that place. But, we all make mistakes.
One of my professors in the seminary was teaching us to keep our mind on whatever we are doing and related an experience of his own. He went into his baptistry with the candidate, lifted his arm, repeated the words of the baptismal formula…but the words that came out were, “Marriage is an institution ordained of God..” Realizing his error, he continued, “..and so is baptism.” He then began saying what he should have said in the first place. As I said, we all make mistakes.
I had a pastor friend who went into the baptistry in his robe, and before any candidates came into the baptistry, he looked out at the congregation and said, “Folks, I hate to tell you this, but there’s not a drop of water in this baptistry.” Somebody made a mistake. We all do.
Doubtless you have made a mistake and no one else knew about it. A mistake that is observed by others, however, seems to be worse. It is certainly more embarrassing. If we happen to be around when somebody is embarrassed about whey they said or did, we can try to help. Like the little girl in the third grade classroom who saw her 9-year-old friend suddenly wet his pants at his desk. She was carrying a goldfish bowl down that aisle, so she “stumbled” and spilled the water on the boy. All of a sudden everyone was sorry for him and calling her a klutz. After school, he walked beside her and said, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” She answered, “I wet my pants once too.” (Read the story here).
Who knows? There may be someone along life’s way who can be helped through an embarrassing experience by one of us. We all make mistakes. It may be our turn to be helped or to help someone some day. More and more I am convinced that there is a simple rule for living: “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” Or, you can say it the old way, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” The Golden Rule.