“I will pour out my Spirit
upon all flesh.” Acts 2:17
The story is told of a travelling
evangelist who made the circuit of little Southern towns a few generations
ago. A dramatic preacher, he knew just
how to bring the crowd to their knees.
His great method was to call out, at the height of his sermon, “Holy
Ghost, come down.” He had conveniently
stationed a little boy up in the rafters with a dove in a cage, and at that
signal, the boy would open the cage, and the dove would flutter down upon the
assembled congregation.
Well, the preacher had made the customary
arrangements one sweltering Sunday evening in June, and when he had his crowd
just where he wanted them, he shouted out, “Holy Ghost, come down.” There was silence. Again, “Holy Ghost, come down.” The preacher cleared his throat and glanced
nervously toward the ceiling, and—“Holy Ghost, come down.” Finally, a little voice chimed from the
balcony, “The yaller cat done ‘et the Holy Ghost. Shall I throw the yaller cat down?”
