Fools

 April 1, 2024

Years ago, I read about a man who walked the streets of his city wearing a blank billboard that had a roll-up blind at the top. He was dressed a bit shabbily, but was always polite and respectful of others. He would walk up to the window of a diner, or stand in the subway station, tip his hat with a smile, and pull on the window shade string. It would unroll, revealing in large letters this simple message:

“I am a fool for Jesus…

Who are you a fool for?”

Some would laugh, some mock; others either ignored him or read thoughtfully. I don’t know if anyone was converted by his witness, but his message is worth considering. People make fools of themselves for all sorts of things—money, sex, approval, power over others. They’ll destroy all that is truly valuable in their lives in a frenzied quest for an ever-elusive satisfaction, all the while ridiculing those who have chosen to be fools for Jesus.

Bob Dylan had an encounter with Jesus that changed his whole outlook on life. He was still Bob Dylan, wordsmith and songwriter, but when he wrote and performed “You Gotta Serve Somebody,” he was vilified by those who had before almost worshipped him. He understood that we are all fools for something, and he chose to be a fool for Jesus. How about you? What are you a fool for?