One Sunday morning, an old man entered a church just before the service began.
The old man and his clothes were perfectly clean, but his shirt and pants were old and worn. In his hand, he carried a worn-out hat and an old Bible.
The church was located in a wealthy part of the city. It was the biggest and most beautiful church the old man had ever seen.
The congregation was dressed in expensive clothes and accessories. As the old man sat down, people quietly moved away from him.
No one greeted him, spoke to him, or made him feel welcome. They were clearly bothered by his appearance and did not try to hide it.
As the old man was leaving, the preacher stopped him and said,
“Before you come back here again, have a talk with God and ask Him what He thinks is appropriate attire for worship.”
The old man smiled and promised he would.
The following Sunday, he returned wearing the very same ragged clothes.
Once again, everyone ignored him and kept their distance.
After the service, the preacher approached him and said,
“I thought I asked you to speak to God before coming back to our church.”
“I did,” replied the old man with a smile.
“And what did God tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping here?” asked the preacher.
“Well, sir,” said the old man, “God told me that He didn’t have a clue what I should wear. He said He’d never been in this church.”