Church will be full today…

But he’s not worried about finding a place to sit…

He sits in the same spot every week…

Everybody knows where he sits…

Nobody will sit in his seat….

Walking in, he thinks, “This must be a mistake…”

Three rows are completely blocked off…

Three rows including his seat.

It doesn’t look like anything official…

The seats are covered with programs and coats and personal items.

Who would dare to sit in his seat?

“No one!” he thinks as he moves coats and sits in his usual spot.

Another man walks up to him…

“Hi, I’m saving these seats for my family.”

“Have them sit somewhere else.  This seat is mine.”

He stands …

The two men are inches apart…

Blood rushes to his face.

“It’s my seat!”

He sits back down in “his seat” as the other man’s family finds another place  to sit.

“It’s my seat”, he murmurs half out loud.

Church ends and everyone walks to their cars.

The two men pass each other in the parking lot.

Angry words are spoken…

Fists fly…

Jumping into his car, the seat owner starts the engine, turns the wheel toward his opponent, and floors the accelerator…

He hits the man so hard, he rolls up on the hood of the car…

“But it’s my seat!” he says as the police put him in the back of the patrol car…

Why do we all worry so much about protecting our rightful place in this world?

Forgetting that Jesus said…

…when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests.  Luke 14:10

Forgetting that Jesus is saving us a space in the only place where it really matters…

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  John 14:2

Note:

Wondering whether this story could possibly be true? Here’s a link to the news reports…

The original version of this post first appeared in February 2015