Bear With Me

 

Let me pass on to you a story that was passed on to me in James Martin's book, Between Heaven and Mirth:

A Catholic priest, a Baptist preacher, and a rabbi served as chaplains to the students of a college in the Midwest. The three friends would get together several times a week for coffee. One day, someone commented that preaching to people isn't really all that hard  -  a real challenge would be to preach to a bear. So they decided to do an experiment. They would venture into the woods, find a bear, preach to it, and attempt to convert it. Seven days later, they gathered again to discuss their experience.

Father Flannery, who had his arm in a sling, was on crutches, and had bandages on his face, went first. "Well," he said, "I went into the woods to find a bear. And when I found him, I began to read to him from the Catechism. That bear wanted nothing to do with me and rudely began to push me around. So I grabbed my holy water and baptized him, and he became as gentle as a lamb. The bishop is coming out next week to give him First Communion and to confirm him."

Reverend Smith spoke next. He was in a wheelchair and had one arm and both legs in casts. "Well, brothers, I went out and found a bear as well. And then I began to read to him from God's Holy Word. But that bear wanted nothing to do with me. So I took hold of him, and we began to wrestle. We wrestled down one hill, up another, and down another until we came to a creek. So I quickly dunked him and baptized his heavenly soul. And just like you said, Father, he became as gentle as a lamb. We spent the rest of the day praising Jesus."

The priest and the preacher both looked down at Rabbi Stein, who was on a stretcher. He was in a full body cast. The rabbi looked up and said: "Looking back on it, circumcision may not have been the best way to start."