Bathroom Theology

This post comes from Mark Winter. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound!

Sometimes you have God-encounters in the strangest places. Like a public restroom.On Saturday, my wife, daughter and I took an outing to Central Market in Fort Worth. CM is one of our favorite places to go: it�s part gourmet grocery store, part cooking school and part restaurant. Before we started our shopping spree, my wife and I ducked into the restroom (not the same one). The door had no sooner closed behind me when I heard a little boy's voice bawling from a stall.

�DA-AAAD!�

Washing his hands, a young father with a Bluetooth headset asked, �What�s wrong?�

The invisible boy sheepishly replied, �Well, I kinda had an accident. I peed on the floor�and I got my pants all wet, too.�

I braced myself. I imagined the father blowing up, dropping some profanity bombs or, at the very least, mumbling under his breath. I was pleasantly surprised when he said, �No problem, Son. Let�s take a look.�

The boy�s voice was tinged with shame. �I really made a mess,� he said.

�It�s all right,� the father soothed. �I came prepared. I have an extra set of clothes in the car.�

�Really?�

�Really.�

The exchange was pure grace. The kid messed up and knew it. His tone seemed to expect punishment, but instead the surprise gifts of compassion and clemency were dropped into his lap. I couldn�t help thinking of this reference in Isaiah when the father was willing to remove his son�s soiled pants and give him a set of clean garments. What a great moment to break out in Amazing Grace.

I spared everyone by singing it in my head.