Open

What would you think if this happened to you?

Here's the story...

There was only one door opened on the double doors leading into the chapel. The two greeters were inside the door greeting people as people entered. I was standing in line waiting to get into the chapel.

I reached out and opened the second door so that people could freely enter.

One of the greeters harshly said, "No! Shut that door"

"What?"

"Shut that door!"

Her comment took my breathe away. Firmly she repeated her order..."shut that door."

I caught my breath just in time to here her rationale. "If we have both doors open we will miss saying hello to everyone."

"It'll be OK, people will find their way in" I said.

What she said next floored me.

"Do you want us to do the job (greeting)?" harshly fell from her lips.

"Yes, but let's open the doors."

It was obvious that if the greeters were to continue to greet, it was going to be on their terms. I entered and found my seat in the chapel.

Then it hit me...since when do we fail to open all of the doors so that people can freely enter?

Wafting across decades came the little jingle that I sang in Sunday School.

"here is the church

here is the steeple

open the doors

and see all the people."

The church where I attend is growing to the point where we need all of our doors open to let people in.

My hope is that the "welcome" people feel is greater inside the community of faith than the one they experience at the door.

What do you think?

This is a true story that happened to me today. I wonder how other people were treated today as they entered the chapel?

Just a thought...