ministers supposed to see a point in everything? That's what Dr. Wiltebrand, the
fiery octogenarian chairman of the Biblical Studies Department at Howland
College, always said. Jeromy had been teaching New Testament Survey there for
the past three years. "Everything that happens in a minister's life," he could hear
Dr. Wiltebrand saying, "is designed to give him ideas for analogies, new insights
on scripture, to help him MAKE A POINT."
Somehow, though, Wiltebrand's
cocky surefiredness had mellowed in the past few days--even he, at the funeral,
had only muttered a weak "I'm so sorry, son" as he darted out the door.
Was it that he really didn't believe what he espoused? Or did he just not
care? Jeromy shook his head, amazed at himself, and decided to give the foolish
old bookworm the benefit of the doubt. "The problem with people like
Wiltebrand," he mused, "is that they are all talk, no action; all theory, no practice;
all . . . Augh!" He mentally slapped himself to get Wiltebrand's face out of his
mind's eye.