A couple of weeks later, Bill came to see me. "I left that car lot," he said, and told why. Acustomer had come in and asked about a certain pickup truck on the lot. "I told him what we would take for it, but he wanted to pay a lot less. I told him we had more in it than that and couldn't sell it for that amount. He looked at me and said,'You will sell it to me for that or I'll go in and tell your boss what you are.'" Bill said, "Igot up and walked into the boss's office and handed in my resignation. I'm backworking on my farm."

Regardless of one's position on homosexuality and lesbianism -- as well asadultery and every other variation of sexual sin -- there is no question that God's word instructs Christians to act in love and Christlikeness in all we do.

Concerning racism, I tell my people about a conversation I experienced in a family-style restaurant in McComb, Mississippi, a few years back. Two men set their trays down at my table, and after we nodded greetings, the first began to try to get a conversation going.

"What do you think the legislature is going to do?" he said. I told him I was from New Orleans and didn't have a clue what they were doing in Jackson. He said, "Well, who are you folks going to elect as governor next year?" I told him of a mayor who was running and thought I'd vote for him. He said, "What do you think of Donald Racist's chances?"(Obviously, I'm changing the name here. He was referring to a well-known member of the Ku Klux Klan.)

I said, "Not very much." He said, "Why's that?" I said, "Donald Racist believes some things our people don't believe." "Such as?" he said.

I said, "Such as the superiority of the white race." He said, "Well, that's a little hard to argue with." I closed the book I was trying to read and looked at him and said, "I'll argue with it." But he was ready; he'd had this conversation before.

"Then tell me," he said, "why it is that down through history whenever whites and blacks have lived together, the blacks have ended up as the slaves of the whites. Tell me that."

I'd heard that before and said, "Sir, you'll be glad to know that's not right. It did happen a few times, but not very many. But, even if it did happen, if anything it would say more about the inferiority of the whites,for makingslaves out of their brothers."

He didn't bat an eye. "That brings up the matter of slavery, doesn't it."I said, "It does?" He said, "I see you have aBible there." Then he said, "You know there's not one word in all the Bible against slavery." I said, "Are you serious?" He said, "Show me oneverse in the Bible that says slavery is wrong."

What happened next was one for the books. Over the next couple of seconds,my mind was feverishly whirring as I tried to come up with some Scripture against slavery. I couldn't think of a thing.That's when the other fellow spoke up.

He had not saida word the whole time, and I hadjust assumed they were two peas of a pod, that one was speaking for both. When his friend challenged me to give him one verse ofScripture against slavery, this fellow turned to his friend and said,"How about 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself'?"

I said, "Great answer!" It was the perfect comeback. I was so relieved I felt like running around the table and hugging the man.

His companion never let on that he had been skewered, but tried to change the subject. I asked him to excuse me, that I had some reading to do. But the truth is, I never readanother word. I sat there for the rest of the meal thinking what a satisfying retort that brother had furnished his friend.And he had done it with a verse of Scripture I had always believed but had found boring and tame. "Love thy neighbor as thyself" had just nailed a racistlie to the wall.

A year or two later, the sheriff in my Louisiana parish was in the local news calling for a casino to be built in our part of the world. Iwrote him a note, suggesting that he provide moral leadership for our people instead of agitating for a gambling establishment. To my surprise, he answered it.

"Reverend," he began, "I am offended you would imply there's anything immoral about gambling." Then he said, "Give me one Scripture in the wholeBible that says there's anything wrong with gambling."

I wrong back, "Dear Sheriff: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

They say that humor is like a rubber ball, that it lets you make a point without drawing blood.

A good story does the same.

Matthew tells us (13:34) that our Lord never preached or taught without telling a story.

He knew.

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Joe McKeever is Director of Missions for the Baptist Association of Greater New Orleans. His website is www.joemckeever.com