E-mails, and stories they often contain, remind me of the olden days when some preachers loved to deliver tales of events from the pulpit that seemed just a bit incredulous. Often they were more than that; nothing but embellished stories someone created while looking for a good sermon illustration. Some of these tales are rising from the ashes. They are often dated, as when the transportation of the day was a horse and buggy or steam engine!
I received such a story recently. It was a great story. It had one significant fault. It just wasn't true. I did some research, which was really quite easy, and discovered there was almost NO true facts at all. Why did I research it? I was so moved by it I was thinking of using it as a BLOG! I had never done that. Doubt that I will now. Research showed me I would have been a sucker for someone's tale.An OLD one!
Dear reader. These stories abound today. Some of them are politically motivated. They easily cross party lines. Some of them come from religious settings. Horatio Alger-type stories are the best.
My kind advice to you and to myself; Research the tales coming your way before you deliver them on. Upon doing that you may find the DELETE button is appropriate. If you really must have a good, made-up tale on a given subject, just let me know. I can deliver what you want, as long as you understand it won't have an ounce of truth in it. We "men of the cloth" are good at that.
