Like a passing parade
FEBRUARY 8, 2008 (FRIDAY
John Nesbitt’s “Passing Parade” was a one-reeler short subject film series from MGM that was shown in movie theaters, starting in 1938. It told stories about people and events. It was always interesting and entertaining. It always began and ended with the words, “The Passing Parade,” dramatically enunciated and boldly displayed on the screen.
Life is, in fact, a passing parade. The Bible gives us a reviewing stand where we can watch the stories unfold. One such story is the tale of Timothy and Titus, “preacher boys” of the Apostle Paul. They spent a lot of time with Paul in his missionary work, but they were soon assigned to some tough spots by the great Apostle. Timothy was placed in Ephesus, a great city dominated by idolatry, and Titus was left in Crete, an island nation known for its crude and vulgar society.
Paul wrote to both of them, thanking them for their devotion to Christ and willingness to do the Lord’s work. The world he wrote about bears a stunning resemblance to the world we live in today. This bears testimony to the truth, “The more things change, the more they remain the same.” Morally, mankind has always struggled. The job of each of these two young men was to lead a church to give a strong witness for Christ in a pagan environment.
Seems like yesterday that my friends and I began our quest to serve the Lord as ministers. Now, although it seems impossible, 60 years have come and gone, and we are fading from the scene. Several of my minister friends are now with the Lord. They “fought the good fight and kept the faith.” What of their work? It continues in young people like Timothy and Titus. New ideas and methods have become the vessels of the “old time religion.” The faith once delivered to this world is now in good hands. Christ is building His Church, and He’s doing it with servants of all ages, who need our prayers as they blaze new trails in the landscape of history in this “passing parade.”