I must confess that my knees trembled just a bit. I had never met a king before. I would probably never meet another monarch as long as I lived. It took place many years ago when I was a missionary in Ethiopia. The King of Ethiopia at that time, Haile Selassie, invited the YMCA chorus to sing Christmas carols for him and his family at his palace. We were all excited about the opportunity. As we entered the palace, we were awestruck. It was a fabulous place. High ceilings. Marvelous light fixtures. Plush carpets. Beautiful paintings. The finest furniture. And there we stood in the midst of all this pomp, singing simple Christmas carols.

When we had finished singing, we were informed that His Majesty the Emperor would receive us individually. We lined up in single file. That is when my knee…