Charlton Heston and the 23rd Psalm

Someone who knew someone who knew someone who knew Charlton Heston asked the actor if he would come to a party in his home town of Evanston, Illinois to honor a Baptist preacher retiring after serving 62 years as a pastor.

After several speeches and a roast, the MC of the party asked Charlton Heston if he would read the 23rd Psalm in character as Moses, which Heston played in the movie, “The Ten Commandments.”  After several protests Heston reluctantly agreed and came to the podium. He read the verses out of the open Bible on the podium and received polite applause from the folks in the audience.

Then the MC asked the retiring preacher if he would recite the familiar verses as his last official duty for the church.  The aging pastor walked to the podium and recited the 23rd Psalm.  However, when he finished there was not a sound in the hall. There were a few sniffles, lots of  tears, even a few sobs.

The retiring preacher read the verses with such passion and conviction and love for the Scripture that he touched the hearts of everyone, even the actor. Heston was so moved by the preacher’s rendition of the 23rd Psalm that he returned to the microphone for his parting words.

All he could manage to say was, “I know the book,” Heston said. “But this preacher knows the Author.”