When Evangelist D. L. Moody Was Conducting ...

When evangelist D. L. Moody was conducting evangelistic meetings, he frequently faced hecklers who strongly disagreed with him. In the final service of one campaign, an usher handed the famous preacher a note as he entered the auditorium. It was actually from an atheist who had been giving Mr. Moody a great deal of trouble. The evangelist, however, thought that it was an announcement, so he quieted the large audience and prepared to read it. Opening the folded piece of paper he found scrawled in large print only one word: “Fool”

The colorful preacher was equal to the occasion. Said Moody, “I have just been handed a memo which contains the single word—‘Fool’ This is most unusual. I’ve often heard of those who have written letters and forgotten to sign their names, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard of anyone who signed his name and then forgot to write the letter”

Taking advantage of the unique situation, Moody promptly changed his sermon text to Psalm 14:1: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’”