Preachin’ or “Meddlin'”

Last week when I was speaking at a camp I went on a segue, fully admitting that I was “meddlin.'” 

I challenged kids about what was on their iPods, predicting the objection of, “Oh, that stuff doesn’t bother me.” And quickly answered the objection.

The kids received it really well. Several of the counselors and I were joking about the difference between preaching and “meddlin.'” (Meddlin’ meaning, when you start touching on sore subjects, or areas of weekness.) When I got home, I had to laugh. I read this fun little illustration from my buddy Mike over at MikeysFunnies.com (a great free subscription by the way!)

Two elderly, excited Southern women were sitting together in the front pew of church listening to a fiery preacher.

When this preacher condemned the sin of stealing, these two ladies cried out at the tops of their lungs, “AMEN, BROTHER!”

When the preacher condemned the sin of lust, they yelled again, “PREACH IT, REVEREND!”

And when the preacher condemned the sin of lying, they jumped to their feet and screamed, “RIGHT ON, BROTHER!

TELL IT LIKE IT IS…AMEN!”

But when the preacher condemned the sin of gossip, the two got very quiet. One turned to the other and said,

“He’s quit preaching and now he’s meddlin’.”