The Wordless Sermon

A member of a church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him on a very chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.

Guessing the reason for the visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace, and waited.

The pastor said absolutely nothing. In grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, he took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember, and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent.

The host watched all this. As the one lone ember's flame diminished, there was a momentary glow, and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and "dead as a doornail."

Not a word had been spoken.

Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire, and immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the pastor reached the door, his host said, "Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday."