IT WAS a dark, wintry night. The road was a lonely one along which Mr. Kline hurried. His mind was made up. Yes, murder was in all his thinking. He’d get rid of his enemy “now"! “Nothing, or no one, shall change my mind!” said he to himself. Kline knew the road his enemy would take on this particular Sunday. “Yes,” he reassured himself; “Whispering Lane, is where it will be. There’s a ditch alongside the road and I’ll wait for him there.”
Old Kline was soon at the spot and was lying in wait. Suddenly his evil thoughts and intents were diverted by the sound of children singing. They were making their way home from Sunday School. Kline’s curiosity was aroused. He strained every muscle to hear:
“Jesus died for all mankind,
And Jesus died for ME.”
“What? Are they singing about me?”
Again he listened and thought he heard:
“Jesus died for old man Kline,
And Jesus died for me!”
Kline was completely upset. The words kept repeating themselves in their misunderstood phrases. Finally he got up from his hiding place and hurried home. But there was no peace in his heart — only a deep conviction of sin and remorse until he, too, could sing with the children;
“Jesus died for all mankind,
And Jesus died for me!”
ML-11/11/1973