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88 ˜ A Work of Hospitality, 1982–2002
stream, and righteousness like a river that never goes dry” (Amos 5:24). Indeed,
water is a symbol and vital resource for life. And while offering hot water, soap,
and towels to our tired and dirty sisters and brothers cannot wash away the injustice
of a world that forces them to line up at our door in the cold morning
hours, it is an offering that we must continue to give. For in this simple work of
mercy, we are not only seeking to make more economic fruit accessible to those
who have been denied it; we are also seeking to know the vagrant Christ who is
standing, tired and dirty, in that same shower line.
You Are the One! by Elizabeth Dede
S e p t e m b e r 1 9 9 1
Recently the Open Door had a Bible study based on 2 Samuel 12:1–14. It is
a powerful story about King David’s recognition of his sin. The prophet Nathan
is sent to tell David a story about a rich man and a poor man. The rich man has
everything, including much cattle. The poor man has nothing, except a lamb
that he loves dearly and cares for as part of his family. One day, the rich man receives
a visitor and does not want to kill one of his own animals to serve his
guest. Instead he steals the poor man’s lamb and slaughters it.
When David hears the story, he is outraged and says that the rich man deserves
to die. Nathan simply and starkly replies, “You are that man.”
Indeed, it was true; David had done a terrible thing. He had lusted after
Bathsheba, slept with her, and gotten her pregnant while her husband, Uriah,
was fighting in the king’s army. When David couldn’t get Uriah to abandon his
post as a loyal soldier and to sleep with Bathsheba to cover up David’s sin, King
David had faithful Uriah killed.
The parallel to Nathan’s story is all too obvious, and David cries out, “I have
sinned against the Lord!” In a powerful moment of self-awareness, David says to
himself, “I am that man.” He is brought to repentance and learns of God’s forgiveness.
Since that Bible study, I’ve been listening for the prophets in my life who
say to me, like Nathan said to David, “You’re the one!” and bring me to repentance.
I observed at the Bible study that we had a difficult time naming the
prophets in our lives and telling about the prophecies that we receive.
It was easy to identify ourselves as prophets, because then we are the good
guys, speaking the truth to power, and telling off the oppressors. So the occupation
of the Imperial Hotel came readily to mind as one of our prophetic ac-