OWNING SHOES AND WALKING BAREFOOTED

A man had occasion to go to a town called EVERYWHERE on business for the first time. He arrived at the railroad station on a blustering December day. There was cold wind and flurry of snow. As he walked along the street he saw women dressed in costly furs and gentlemen in fur coats, but all having bear feet. The population seemed respectable and well-to-do but no one wore shoes, not a single person! They limped along, were afflicted with chilblains and bruises and suffered great pain.

When he went to the hotel he found the clerk at the desk, the bellboys and other attendants all barefoot. At the dinner table he sat next to a prosperous looking old gentleman and they fell into conversation. The Traveler asked him;

“Pardon me if I seem intrusive, but I notice that nobody in this town seems to wear shoes, yet everyone appear to suffer from cold and bruised feet. Would you mind telling me why?”

“Ah!” said the old gentleman, raising his eyes piously, “why don’t we?”

He was amazed at his companion, in response, he asked him further:

“But what is the matter? Don’t you believe in shoes in the town?”

“Believe in shoes, my friend! I should say we do! That is the first article of our creed – SHOES. They are indispensable for the well-being of humanity. Such frostbite, cuts, sores, and suffering those shoes prevent! It is wonderful!”

“Well, then, why don’t you wear them?” He asked, totally bewildered.

“Ah!” the old man said thoughtfully, “That is just it. Why don’t we?”

Our traveler took a walk through the town and found that here and there were beautiful buildings, more elaborate and larger than the ordinary. Seeing the janitor sweeping the steps of one of these structures, he approached and talked to him.

“What is this building? I am a stranger in town and notice there are many buildings like this.”

“That is one of our outstanding shoe manufacturing establishments!”

“What?” He asked in amazement. “You mean you make shoes there?”

“Well, not exactly,” he said, a bit abashed. “We talk about making shoes there, and believe me, we have one of the most brilliant fellows you have ever heard.”

Pointing to a sign by the door he saw an announcement that the Chief official of the factory was going to give a lecture every seventh day on shoes. The subjects listed included “The Origin of Shoes”, “The History of Shoe Making”, “Varieties of Leather”, etc.

He was informed by the janitor that once every seven days every other business in town was required by law to close, nothing was allowed to be opened but the shoe factories and the people all gathered in them to sing and pray and hear lectures about shoe. But no shoes were produced and nobody wore shoes.

Finally, in a side street our traveler found a small shop, there was an old cobbler making a pair of shoes inside. Excusing himself, he burst into the little shop and asked the shoemaker how it happened that his shop was not over-run with customers.

“Nobody wants my shoes,” he said. “They just talk about them.”

“Give me what pairs you have ready,” he said eagerly, and paid him twice the amount he modestly asked.

Hurriedly he returned to his friend at the hotel and offered them to him, saying;

“Here, my friend, one of these pairs will surely fit you. Take them, put them on. They will save you untold suffering.”

To his surprise the old gentleman declined the gift, assuring him that none of the best people ever wore shoes, and in fact it was considered a sign of fanaticism and hypocrisy to wear them.

“Ah, thank you,” he said, with embarrassment, “but you don’t understand. It just isn’t done.”

And coming out of the city of Everywhere, over and over and over that question rang in the traveler’s ears; “Why don’t we? Why don’t we? Why don’t we?”

This story was originally written by Hugh Price Hughes a Welsh Protestant Methodist minister.

Now the morals of the story are quite clear and I have no intention of distorting them. However, I realize from this story, that it will be the highest form of hypocrisy for me to talk about the immensity of the power of God and His blessings that I possess and yet not make conscious efforts to walk in the same; that is me owning a shoe and walking barefooted.

It is also logically inconsistent for me to claim to believe passionately that Jesus is the only saviour there is, and yet not be eager tell a decaying world about him; that is me owning shoe manufacturing factories and still walking barefooted. I can’t continue living this contradictory life anymore, it’s about time I PUT ON MY SHOES AND LIVE IN ACCORDANCE TO WHAT I BELIEVE.

Like this little child, wear that shoe! Even if you think it seem bigger than your leg.

What do you say??