There was once a preacher whom I used to like. I thought he was great.
His sermons were wonderful—as long as I liked him.
His speech was passing fair—as long as I liked him.
He was a hard worker—as long as I liked him.
He was the man for the job—as long as I liked him.
In fact, I was strong for him—as long as I liked him.
But, he offended me one day. Whether he knew or not, I do not know. Since that day, he has ceased to be a good preacher.
His sermons are not so wonderful—since he offended me.
His speech is of no account—since he offended me.
His faults are more prominent—since he offended me.
He is not a hard worker—since he offended me.
He’s not the man for the job—since he offended me.
In fact, I’m trying to turn everybody against him and get rid of him—since he offended me.
It’s really a shame he’s changed so much.[1]
[1] Glen Wheeler, 1010 Illustrations, Poems, and Quotes (Cincinnati: Standard Publishing Co., 1967).
