Joshua A Parable for Today

There are stories throughout history about mysterious appearances of the Divine Presence in people's lives. Some are mythical, and others are quite well documented, as is the case with Moses, the prophets, and many of the saints. While some people might feel God's comings and goings should be restricted as prescribed in Revelation, it seems God nonetheless still has His own mind and feels free to move about His creation as He chooses. As to the reasons for such supernatural happenings, only God can provide the answer. I like to think that as human events flow farther and farther away from the initial shock of the Resurrection, people find reasons for belief increasingly harder to accept than did people of the past. God seems to understand the difficulty of finding faith in a faithless age, and, as in the story of the Prodigal Son, condescends to our human weakness to help our unbelief. That may be the reason why Joshua, in this present story, returns for another visit, to bring comfort and hope to a people frightened about dire prophecies of imminent disaster. It was a bitterly cold winter night. A lone stranger walked down a street in the City of Brotherly Love, not far from the old Reading Railroad Station, recently converted into the Reading Market. People were rushing--many were on their way to celebrate with friends, others to evening services, some were even last-minute shoppers, for it is Christmas Eve. The stranger was not properly dressed for such a cold night, wearing nothing more than a woolen shirt, ordinary pants, and sandals. But surprisingly enough, this man seemed unconcerned about his exposure to the elements as he stopped at the corner, looked in different directions, and began to cross the street. Seemingly out of nowhere a speeding car squealed around the corner, barely missing the stranger but managing to soak him with icy slush. Furious at the close call, the driver yelled out the window, "Watch where you're walking, you lazy bum." Unperturbed, the stranger continued on his way as if he heard nothing, joining the people who were headed toward a church a few blocks away. No one paid much attention to the stranger, but those who did commented to their companions on how meagerly clad he was for such a freezing cold night. One lady suggested her husband give him his overcoat as he had two more at home. "Honey, you've got to be kidding! If he wants to dress that way, that's his problem. There's no reason why he can't work like everyone else. Why should I be expected to dress him? I've never in my life ever seen a truly poor person. People like him are just too lazy to work." The wife said nothing more and the couple hurried toward the joyful sound of Christmas hymns. Taking no notice of this exchange, the stranger himself continued toward the church. At the steps of the church, a young boy selling calendars watched with sadness as he approached. "'Hey, mister, you look cold. Don't you have anything better than that to wear?'" "That's all I have, Thomas. But I don't mind." "But you have to mind. It's a cold night. You're going to freeze, especially from that guy splashing you with slush. There he goes into the church with his family. He's not a very nice man. I know him. Here, mister, take my coat. I have a sweater underneath, so I can keep warm," the boy said as he took off his coat. It had a hole in the elbow of one sleeve. The coat was old, probably handed down in the family from one child to the next. "By the way, mister, what's your name?" "Joshua." "Joshua, that's a nice name. But how did you know my name?" the boy asked, as he offered his coat to Joshua. When Joshua did not respond immediately, the boy, in his excitement to help the stranger, forgot that he never got an answer to his question. Joshua accepted the gift so generously offered and triedGirzone, Joseph F. is the author of 'Joshua A Parable for Today' with ISBN 9780385474214 and ISBN 0385474210.