HE WASN’T CRAZY

(A Story from Belize)

“Look at that Mistah Walker,” whispered a young man in flashy clothing to the woman beside him. “I think he’s gone crazy!”

The woman took a sip of her whiskey cocktail and giggled as she looked where her boyfriend was pointing. Behind the bar stood the owner him­self, a huge black man. Usually Ludlow Walker had a jolly grin and a joke for every customer! But today his face seemed to be distraught with fear. Great drops of sweat rolled down his forehead as he stared at the Book in his hand. His lips moved feverishly, reading the words from the yellowed pages.

“Hey, man! Whatcha got there?” came the raucous voice of a customer on one of the bar stools.

“What are you reading, man?”

“Don’t bother me,” Ludlow murmured. “Where was I? ... Yes ... ‘The Lord cometh to judge the earth. With righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people..,’” he read aloud.

A ripple of uneasiness swept over the crowd of drinkers. “That’s a Bible!” muttered someone. “He’s crazy, for true!”

“Hey, Ludlow! Come here, I’ll give you a cigarette. That will make you feel better!” teased a lady. “Come on, Mistah Walker, turn on some dance music!” someone else shouted. A man in an expensive suit slipped his own full glass along the counter top toward Ludlow. “Here, man,” he said softly. “Drink this quickly; you need it worse than I do!”

Ludlow Walker raised his head and looked full in the face of his friend. “No,” he spoke delib­erately. “I won’t drink that. I will never drink liquor again.”

A snort of laughter rose from several of the customers, but most sat in horrified silence. “Crazy,” someone muttered. “What’s going on? Let’s get out of here!” He headed for the door, and one by one the other drinkers followed him.

Alone at the bar, Ludlow read on. He could not explain the mysterious sense of conviction which had gripped him that afternoon and caused him to search for this old Bible among his dead father’s treasures. He didn’t know much about God’s plan of salvation, but he knew that he wanted God in his life. Lord, help me! he prayed. I want Your power to change me! I’ve had enough of sin and darkness.

At last, secure in the knowledge that God had heard him, Ludlow went to his bed. In the morn­ing, he awoke with a prayer in his heart! “Lord, what shall I do next?”

“You must find other Christians,” came the answer from God.

The missionaries, Ludlow thought immediately. Those Mennonite missionary ladies in the village, who give away free eyeglasses to the poor. I will go talk to them!

Two days later, Ludlow made his way to the door of the little mission house and soon he was telling Nancy and Alta Coblentz, the mission sisters, about his experience. “Everyone said I was crazy,” he finished with a chuckle. “But you don’t think I’ve lost my mind, do you?”

“No, indeed!” Nancy Coblentz replied firmly. “You haven’t lost your mind — your mind has been renewed! That is what God does for us. We have been praying for you, Mr. Walker, and God has answered our prayer!”

She called for the pastor of the church, Brother Gilbert Stevens, who explained more to Ludlow about the way of salvation. How the Christians rejoiced, as they spoke with this new brother in the Lord!

But not everyone was happy with the news. When Ludlow Walker’s friends and customers heard of the change in his life, they were disappointed and angry. Ludlow’s motel and bar were famous throughout the country! Government leaders, tourists, and rich businessmen loved to sit and drink in his popular, colorful cocktail lounge. Was Ludlow going to close the place down? What would happen next?

Many people laughed and mocked at Ludlow. “He won’t last long,” they scoffed. “He loves money too much. He can’t give up that nice business. Surely not!”

One afternoon a rowdy group of men came and demanded rooms in the motel. They were drunken and dangerous, and their leader began to threaten Ludlow. “When I’m like this, it’s easy for me to kill people!” he growled. “I’m going to get you, if you don’t give up your crazy idea of being a Christian and closing this place!”

Ludlow shuddered. This was serious! “Lord,” he prayed, “I’m scared. Help me! Show me some sign that you are with me.”

The evening sky had been perfectly clear be­fore Ludlow prayed, but suddenly it was full of black clouds. Thunder boomed and forked lightning exploded close by.

The hostile man was astonished and frightened. “You did that, man!” he gasped, looking at Ludlow with eyes full of superstitious fear. “I saw you pray!” Picking up his liquor bottle, he backed away.

Ludlow laughed triumphantly. “No, I didn’t do it,” he replied. “God did!”

Crack! Lightning struck again, and huge drops of rain began to fall.

The angry, drunken man suddenly seemed quite sober. Turning away, he ran to his room and slammed the door.

“Come back!” Ludlow cried, hurrying after him. “Don’t you want to come out and see what else God can do?” But there was no reply. Inside the locked room, the man and his friends had switched off their lights and were huddled fearfully in the darkness together.

Ludlow knelt alone on the sun deck and gave thanks to God. At once, the rain and thunder stopped! All the black clouds slipped away, revealing a fresh, beautiful moonlit sky. Rejoicing at the way God had protected him, Ludlow went home to his bed.

At daybreak, the men who had threatened him quietly sneaked away. When Ludlow returned to his motel in the morning, he stood silently look­ing around the empty bar room. “Lord,” he questioned softly, “what shall I do with all this? If I sell it, or even give it away, it will cause other people to sin.” Even as he prayed, Ludlow knew the answer.

Chuckling, he picked up an armload of half empty liquor bottles and strode outside, where he called for the motel janitor. “Here’s some weed killer!” Ludlow told his workman. “We’re going to pour it all out on the grounds and driveway, wherever there are weeds.” Before the surprised man could reply, his boss had gone back for another load.

As hundreds of dollars’ worth of expensive liquors gurgled out onto the ground, a crowd of curious people gathered to watch. “What is he doing?” “He’s crazy!” they muttered. The evil drinks sparkled in the sunshine and Ludlow Walker laughed happily.

“We are getting rid of the devil’s poison,” he explained to the people. “It will kill the weeds, so what do you think it does to the folks that drink it?”

Shaking their heads, the onlookers drifted away. A few days later they came back to stare again at the strange sight of Ludlow and some workmen tearing down the whole building! With sledgehammers and crowbars, they separated cement blocks and boards. Piece by piece, the fa­mous cocktail lounge was being ripped apart! “We will sell it all for scrap,” the owner said with a satisfied smile. “Poor folks may use the pieces to build houses, but no one will ever drink liquor here again.”

“Did you hear the latest about Ludlow Walker?” asked one villager of his neighbor a few years later. “He’s a minister now!”

The other man sighed. “We all said he was crazy, but I guess God changed him,” he added wistfully. “Wouldn’t you sort of like to have what he has?”

Historical Note:

Ludlow Walker was a wealthy man who lived in Hattieville, Belize, in 1980. He was obsessed with making more and more money. Someday, he believed, he would be one of the world’s richest men! But one day Ludlow realized that money was not bringing him happiness, only greed and fear. In his torment and disappointment, he reached for his father’s old Bible, where he found the answer.

Today Ludlow Walker is the pastor of a church in Southern Florida. He also runs a mission called “Ship Watch” in the great seaport of Miami, where merchant ships come from all over the world. Brother Ludlow and groups of volunteers preach, sing, witness, and give away Bibles and tracts in many languages to the sailors.

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