The Guy in the Red Cap
Back in the 1960’s when racial tensions were maxed out and prejudice was running rampant, I was preaching one Sunday Morning when a young Black Guy, wearing a red baseball cap, came barging in the front door of the sanctuary in the middle of my sermon. He stomped around, stopped and stood against the side wall and began to vent his anger (and he, at that time, probably had a right to be mad), by talking back and taking issue with me. I managed to get through the message with all the distraction going on and dismissed the service. He then came directly to me, glared with hate as I said, “I’m glad you came here this morning. Please always feel welcome to come and worship with us.” Then he replied. “You are the biggest fool I have ever seen. I have never met anyone as stupid as you. You are crazy to rant and rave like you did. You are an idiot.”
Then God literally flooded me with a supernatural outpouring of His Love. It was supernatural. It was something I had never experienced before. He gave me an overwhelming baptism of the God-Kind of love for this misguided, hurting young man. It had to be God, because my natural reaction was to have the ushers throw this guy out. Immediately. But before he could turn and walk away, I reached up and grabbed him around the neck, hugged him tight and refused to let him go. I whispered in his ear. “You can call me anything you want and disagree with what I do. You can ridicule me and criticize me if you want to, but there is something you will never be able to do. And that is, you can never make me not love you or respect you. You are special to me and special to God. And this church loves you, too.”
Immediately, his rigidness weakened and his hatred evaporated. He quietly walked out.
I’ve often wondered what became of that angry young man wearing the red baseball cap. But one thing I know, on that Sunday, he encountered the awesome power of the Love of God. And where ever he is
That will never let him go
dickbraswell 
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