Author and retired pastor Bruce McIver tells of a lovely funeral he once attended. The pastor leading the funeral was eloquent and full of emotion. He had quoted extensively from Scripture and preached a comforting and beautiful message. Now he was closing the message by quoting John, imprisoned on the island of Patmos when he wrote Revelation.

"I can see old John now," the pastor intoned dramatically, "I can see old John now, on the isle of Patmos, looking out from that dungeon cell . . . into yon distant horizon . . . and saying . . . "

And then a long pause. Some hemming and hawing. Shifting from one foot to the other. Then the pastor took another stab at the passage. But he couldn't get past John in that prison cell. So he began talking about Heaven, and sheep, and still waters. Then he leaned into the pulpit, and with all manner of gravity, began describing John in his prison cell again. As he got to, ". . . into yon distant horizon . . . and saying . . ." he froze. With an apologetic smile, the pastor remarked, "Folks, I guess you've figured out by now that I . . . can't remember what John said!"

Slowly, the family members of the deceased began to laugh. Soon, the whole church began to laugh. And finally, the pastor himself began to laugh. And nobody ever found out what happened on the isle of Patmos.

Now, that's a human moment. Mistakes aught to bring us more often to the precipice of our humanity and warm our hearts.