IT'S RELIGION COME TO CALL

(NEW THOUGHTS ARE ADDED THREE TIMES A WEEK)

One day, in the slums of a great city, a solitary figure moved toward a termite-eaten door and gently knocked. A raucous voice on the other side screamed out a reply, “Go away, we don’t want any.” The man knocked again, softly but persistently. Finally the door opened ever so slightly and then swung wide as the little girl, instantly recognizing who it was, called back to her mother, “It’s religion come to call.”

It was, of course, Brother Bryan of Birmingham, who was said to be the only man in that southern city who could enter a bar and lead the inhabitants in prayer with no one snickering or making fun.

At first he was called Reverend, then he acquired the honorary title of Doctor. Finally, because of whom he was, he became known to everyone as “Brother Bryan.” Why? Because he called everyone he met “brother.” Rich or poor, black or white. He loved his Lord. He loved his people. He was the epitome of love.

Early in his ministry, because he worked so hard, he became seriously ill. The doctor told him that he needed to take six months off to rest or he would die. His response? “Well, if I am that sick I had better get to work because I obviously haven’t got much time left.” From that time on he never spent as much as a week sick in bed.

Once while conducting an evangelistic service in the Cumberland Mountains, two feuding families sat on either side of the church aisle. Everyone carried guns and were ready, at the drop of a hat, to begin killing each other. Brother Bryan, never one to skirt an issue, began to preach on love. When he had finished he asked the leader of each clan to come forward and place their pistols and rifles on the altar. The two men, for the first time in their lives, took Christ fully into their hearts and on that that day gave forgiveness and understanding a chance to come alive. Left anger and foolishness n the sidelines and took the commandments of the Lord into their lives. And on that day, made holy not because of the calendar but because of what happened, the feud came to an end.

Toward the end of his days, when time had finally caught up with him, someone once asked how many people he thought he had helped. "I don't have any idea," he replied. "I have always been too busy to keep records. I leave that to the angels.

Hee may not have known, but it is a fact that during his ministry he held over 8,000 funerals, married some 5,000 couples, preached at least 50,000 times and led over 8,000 people to a profession of faith.