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CHAPLAIN’S CONFESSION

By Rick Trice

“Wearing the Name of Jesus”

 The elderly gentleman wearing a “Jesus” baseball cap walked up to me in the parking lot of the convenience store in Shamrock, TX, where I had just finished gassing up.  He was smiling, gesturing at the bike, and speaking to me.  I only knew this because I could see his lips moving.  You see, I had just pushed my ear buds in, turned on my iPod full blast, and cinched my helmet down, ready to jump back on the bike and continue my marathon ride home from “Changing of the Colors – 2010.”  I had left Iron Mountain at 8:30 a.m., and was on the last leg of that day’s 540 mile goal to reach Amarillo before dark.  “Just a second, I can’t hear you,” I said, pointing to my helmet.  I got the music turned off, got the helmet back off, smiled and shook his hand.  “Nice cap,” I said.  “Yeah,” he answered in his northeastern accent.  “I found it on my table at the café and stole it!”  he grinned.  When he noticed my puzzled look, he offered, “You see, I’m Jewish, so I thought this would be a great joke!”  I was taken a little aback, not knowing quite what to say, so we then talked a little about my trip, and where I was from, about CMA, etc.  Then, as we were parting I pointed back at his cap and simply said, “You know, Jesus was also Jewish!  I think He would’ve loved you wearing His name.”   He shrugged, smiled, shook my hand again, and walked away. 

 And as I headed west into the sunset, I reflected on how I wear the name of Jesus.  I like to kid around and joke with people as much as the next guy.  But as I cross over that line in my life where there are probably fewer years ahead than behind, “heading into the sunset,” so to speak, my challenge to myself is that the Jesus I wear, the One who others see, be the real Christ, and not just some meaningless joke. 

 (C) 2010 Richard C. Trice and TriceTunes, all rights reserved.