Motes and Beams

The ticket for the game cost $20, and even when he added the $6 for parking
and the $8 for a hot dog, peanuts and a drink, he didn't mind: it was well
worth it. To be able to personally watch the game was a joy. The seats
weren't very comfortable and the stadium was crowded full to capacity with
people yelling things from one side to another. Still this didn't bother him.
The man to his right was constantly yelling at the vender who provided the
fresh, golden brew. After several large containers of that brew, this fan was
quite vocal, shrieking at every call of the officials that he disagreed with.
He decided to engage in some jovial conversation with this other fan, and of
course it centered around how good the home team was and they both made sure
they wore the team's colors. Soon, the game would have to go longer than
normal because of a tie. It was becoming dark, and he had now been sitting in
that seat for almost four hours. He was glad he had brought his umbrella.
When he got home, after the 45 minute drive, he told the family of what a
wonderful game it was and how fortunate he was to get a ticket and see the
home team.

He arrived with his family in the parking lot where there were plenty of
spaces, but not one close enough to the building to suit his desire. Getting
into the building just in time, they found a seat on a back pew. When the
collection plate came around, he huffed and puffed to find his wallet and
come up with the appropriate amount. He stared at one of the men who had
caused the containers holding the fruit of the vine to clang together. "Why ca
n't they get guys who know what they're doing?" he thought. The singing was
not great, and the preacher provided a lesson that lasted about 50 minutes,
on a subject he was sure he'd heard before. When the lesson approached the
twelve o'clock hour, this man began to shift in his seat and become anxious.
Sure enough, the preacher went over in his lesson. After services concluded,
he quickly ushered the family out the back door, making sure he mentioned to
the preacher about his habit of speaking longer than necessary. He glanced at
several brethren on his way out, but paused only long enough to say hello. He
had concerns about the church and wondered why things seemed to be stalled.
"Why aren't we growing?" he said to his wife. Somebody needs to do something,
or maybe it's time for a new preacher, he thought. He quickly drove away,
hoping to beat the traffic to find a place for lunch.

"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but
considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" (Matthew 7:3)  [JW]