Sunday, February 25, 2001

'I'll pay you Monday morning by 11:30, if I live'

My Father was from the small town of Social Circle, Ga., 40 miles east of Atlanta on I-20.

It is in Walton County and is now famous for the Blue Willow Inn where I'm sure many of you have enjoyed generous helpings of Southern cooking.

This story was passed down through our family as long as I can remember. I went to the first grade in school there and my first grade teacher was Mrs. Cook, who also had taught my father in the first grade. My grandfather owned the corner dry goods store there, where much of the town traded.

On Thursday Mr. Mckibben came into the store and bought some items and asked my grandfather if he could borrow $45. My grandfather asked him when could he pay it back. Mr. Mckibben said "Mr. Herndon, I'll pay you back Monday morning by 11:30, if I live."

My grandfather went to the cash register and took out $45 and gave it to him. Mr. McKibben thanked him and left. Monday rolled around and at about 2 p.m. two ladies were in the store shopping when my grandfather gently said to them, "Did you hear that Mr. Mckibben passed away?" The women were totally devastated with the news and said, "I can't imagine that, he was so young and I just saw him earlier this morning."

About two hours later Mr. McKibben came running into the store out of breath and very upset. He said to my grandfather, "Why in the world did you tell people I had died; people are calling the house and bringing over covered dishes and flowers."

My grandfather said, "You said you would pay me Monday morning at 11:30, 'if I live.' I assumed you had died.

Mr. Mckibben promptly paid my grandfather and left the store to tell every one he was still alive. Whether or not the story was true, it got told so much within our family's oral tradition and got so many laughs that we have accepted it over the years as the truth. It does bring out a very important point, however, and it is a point that needs addressing in our churches.

It used to be that, here in the South especially, a person's word was his or her bond. If he or she said something, you could take it to the bank. If he or she lied to you, it was rare. Now I see a total erosion of a people's "truth" values.

I see it a lot in church work where people will look at you with tears in their eyes and tell you, "Pastor, I will be there at 11:30 if I live" and never mean a word of it. "Yes pastor, I will be there on Wednesday evening Bible study you can count on me."

I invite 30-50 people to church a week religiously and I should write a book on the answers I get. Whatever happened to telling the truth? I would much rather hear someone say to me: "Pastor, I don't like church, I don't care about the things of God, and don't really care whether I go to heaven or straight to hell." That person would definitely be a lost individual according to the scriptures, but at least no one could say about him that he wasn't a "man of his word and told the truth."

The scariest scripture to me in the Bible is the one which reads like this in Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone that saith unto me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast our devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works?' And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

The Rev. Dr. Knox Herndon is the pastor of His House Community Church (SBC) and a substitute school teacher in the Fayette County School System, and a former Army chaplain. The church has moved to its new location just below Senoia on Ga. Highway 85. Going south on 85 cross Ga. Highway 16; it's a mile on the right just below the fire station. Prayer line 770-719-2365; e-mail KHERN2365@aol.com.

Back to News Home Page | Back to the top of the page