Annie Pain was a saintly woman in her late 80’s, a member of Aneroid United Church, where a newly-minted minister named Jeeva Sam had just begun his ministry.

Raised in the Baptist Church, she along with her family became part of the United Church when it came into being in 1925.

One day circa 1982/83 she overheard a conversation in which I talked about going to the local bar to meet some of our “members” who were not usually present in church.

Her radar went on red alert instantly. She took me aside and said: “You know I can’t stop you from doing anything. But I don’t think you should be going to the bar.”

“But, Annie!” I protested. “I’m only going to have a Sprite when I’m there. Don’t worry. I’ll set a good example for all our members who are regular patrons.”

“That’s not the point!” she shot right back. “What if some of our young people see you just go in there or even see your car parked right in front of the bar? They don’t know what you’re doing inside or what you’re drinking. It sends them the wrong message–if it’s OK for the minister to go to the bar, it’s OK for us too!”

No matter how hard I tried to justify my position with persuasive appeals to Scripture, human reason and the example of Jesus, Annie would not back down.

This incident came to mind when I read these verses from Matthew 18: “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!” (vs. 6-7)

As much as Jesus hung around tax collectors, prostitutes and other so-called “sinners” of his day, he was still careful not to let his example result in someone stumbling into sin (even though it did raise some issues for the religious establishment of his day!).

His words are rather harsh, wouldn’t you say? Obviously Jesus wants to underscore the seriousness of causing someone to stumble.

The apostle Paul addresses the same issue in these words from Romans 14: “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister…If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.” (vs. 13, 15, 20, 21)

Would it surprise you to know that to this day I have no idea what the inside of the Aneroid Bar looks like?

All glory goes to God. All thanks to Annie Pain.