There was once a minister named Bill who did workshops for churches on clown ministry.
Clown ministry can be used to teach lessons from the Bible, to children and to adults. Clowns who are ministers share God’s love in nursing homes, hospitals and disaster areas. I’ve had clowns in ministry visit my room when I was a patient in the hospital or rehab center the last few years. I really enjoyed their visits.
One day, Bill was in a distant city, packing up after doing a clown workshop at a parish. The phone rang. Nobody was around. He answered. “Are you a minister?” somebody asked. “Yes, actually I am.” “Come quickly,” said the voice, “our child is dying of leukemia.”
Bill dropped everything. He ran out to his rental car and drove to the hospital. He parked the car, ran up the steps, through the double doors, and down the hall.
Suddenly it hit him, he was still dressed as a clown, with a white face, red nose, orange hair, and green suspenders. He didn’t have time to change. It was an emergency. He kept going. He found the room, knocked on the door, and entered the room where a young girl in a hospital bed lay surrounded by her family.
“We called for a minister, not a clown,” said the father. The child replied, “He’s better than a minister. Can he stay?” No one dared to deny her request. Bill sat on the edge of the hospital bed. He sang songs. He told Bible stories. He cradled the little girl in his arms until the end. Bill told her that when she fell asleep she would wake up in the loving arms of Jesus. When the last moment came, she made a final request. “Would you come to my funeral?”
So that’s how it happened. On the third day, Bill stood with a white face, red nose, orange hair, and green suspenders. He never spoke a word, yet he led the people as they laughed, and cried, and remembered the little girl’s life. Without saying a word, Bill showed her falling asleep and then waking up in Jesus’ arms, hugging her and loving her.
A few people present thought it was wrong to have a clown at a funeral, much less lead the service. They murmured afterwards, “That minister is out of his mind! He’s crazy!” By all the proper canons of pastoral protocol, they were probably correct.
But there he stood, acting as if God’s joyful power has already defeated death. Was he crazy? Who can say? All we know is that Bill heard Jesus say, “I am the resurrection and the life,” and he acted accordingly.
Thanks to William G. Carter for sharing this story. Thanks to Azraq al Rezoan for the picture.
How would YOU have felt if YOU were at the young girl’s funeral?
IMAGINE HOW IT WOULD CHANGE YOUR WORLD, IF YOU DIDN’T LOOK UP TO HEAVEN FOR GOD, BUT YOU SAW GOD IN THE FACE OF YOUR NEIGHBOR!
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