Meet Greg(or)

Greg(or)

Who ARE these people anyway? If I were you, I'd go read the introduction to this series here and then start from "Zoe" on May 2nd!

The men's group always met on Saturday. Not every week, but averaging twice a month, and depending on the season and whatever else might be going on with the guys. The first time Greg appeared in church I invited him to our next meeting and he was very excited to come, until he realized that it would be held on “Holy Saturday”. Frankly I was used to believing that every Saturday was holy, but he was referring to the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. He explained that this was supposed to be “the day of waiting at the tomb” and he could not attend our meeting on such an important day.

While this happened about 5 years ago I remember that I was very understanding.  I said that we would be very glad to see him at the following meeting etc etc, and then I heard a low “huh” coming from over my shoulder. I turned and saw X-Ray, who was standing behind me, now striding away up the aisle and biting on a Styrofoam cup.

By the time I turned back around, Greg was gone, and I started to think that maybe I was surrounded by kooks! Now I know that Greg (who later came to be called “Gregor” by some of the wise guys in our group when he turned out to be something of a “seedy” character) was no kook, and neither was X. But when I consider all the trouble they both caused among the men, and their families, X's were of the good kind, and Greg's were of the devil. At some point he had “lost all connection with the head.”

"Wolves in Sheep's clothing" they say.  We might all be aware of such a threat in our own circles, but how to practice the right degree of doubt?  Trusting even a stranger is so often required of us, and is so much easier than being always on guard, that we can easily be trapped by all kinds of liars, or "experts" or by gifted, but false, teachers.  Any stories to share?  Or would you rather forget?