John Claypool was one of the most gifted and talented preachers that I ever heard speak. He also was a prolific writer and the author of several books. In both his writings and his sermons, Claypool's use of words and his transparency in which he shared was like a breath of fresh air in the springtime.
In one of his sermons, he said of his childhood: "One person in particular stands out uniquely. In many ways, she was different from all the other people in my life. For one thing, she was the biggest person that I knew. She must have weighed between 230 to 250 pounds. She was also illiterate, the only adult in my acquaintance who could not read or write. And her skin was black. Her name was Gladys Meggs, and for many years she lived in a room in our basement and was deeply involved in every aspect of our family's life. She cooked our meals, washed our clothes, cared for us when we were sick; in short , she was a servant of ur needs in the finest sense of the word."
Claypool said of Gladys: "She was involved in all of our family life. She knew us inside and out, at our best and at our worst, but there was one place where a mysterious line was drawn. In all those years together never once did Gladys ever eat a meal with us around our family table. This was so much the way we did things that I never noticed it until one noon just the two of us were there and she set my plate on the table in the breakfast room and put her own plate on the kitchen cabinets and pulled up her stool. I suppose I did not want to eat alone, so in all innocence I said: 'Why don't you come over here and eat with me?'
Immediately, I felt a sense of uneasiness injected into the atmosphere. She said quickly, 'Oh, no, that is not my place.' When I didn't give up but insisted she do so she became visibly annoyed and said, 'Hush now child, I told you that is not my place. Go ahead and eat your lunch.'"
Claypool was so puzzled by Glady's reaction that he mentioned it to his mother. Once again there was a sense of uneasiness that filled the atmosphere. His mother emphatically responded: "Don't you ever suggest a thing like that again. That is not the way we do things in the South." His mother's words were spoken with such finality that he knew he was best served to let the matter drop. It was a memory he carried with him going forward.
Claypool pointed out that: The way Glady's Meggs had come to feel about herself and her place in the human family is a symbol of how most human beings feel about their relationship with God. A sense of unworthiness and self-contempt is the poison that is eating away at almost every one of us. When it comes to fellowship with the Almighty, we instinctively move to the kitchen and find a stool and sit in the corner rather than realizing that a place has been set for us at the family table."
I share Claypool's writing to coax you into watching a film you probably aren't going to watch. I'm older than dirt, but somehow, I've managed to get this far in life by choosing to think the system is not completely broken.
The film that I respectfully request that you watch is "Just Mercy" on Amazon Prime. It is the true story of Bryan Stevenson, a Harvard law graduate that set up practice in Montgomery, Alabama with the intent of help defend poor people who cannot afford proper legal representation. My Stevenson is an African American.
Just Mercy is biographical and based on a true story that goes all the way to the Supreme Court. It is a powerful movie that tugged at my heartstrings. I'm certain the same will be true for you.
There are none so blind as those who will not see. Ignorance is not bliss. Please watch this movie.
All My Best!
Don
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