Last
Friday a big guy came into the church with his son. Using broken English, he
said he and his family were immigrants from Yugoslavia who were waiting for
U.S. papers. They were on their way to New York to be with family in order to
establish an address. Could we help them with gas or a hotel room? He looked
legit and his son was a cutie.
It’s
not unusual for people to come to the church looking for assistance, but the
only on-site aid I can offer is our Food Pantry and it wasn’t open at that
time. He was very appreciative when I
gave him the International Rescue Committee phone number, but he said they were
desperate. Doing something I usually don’t do, I reached into my bag and gave
him the entirety of what was in my wallet…which was all of $7. He was very
grateful and I wished him well. At least it could buy a few gallons of gas.
Come
Monday morning, a message arrived from Love, INC (In the Name of Christ), a
downtown clearing-house of sorts of providing assistance to those in need. The description
of the family who had been scamming every church in town with all sorts of
inconsistent stories fit the folks who had come in our door. They had also been
panhandling in every major shopping center in town, to be asked to leave by police.
They dumped garbage from their car in parking lots where no one helped them. It
was estimated that this family had collected between $700-800 from churches in
a few days.
I
was disappointed, not by my tiny contribution to them but in THEM. My fellow
humans. Behaving badly, according to me.
I
wonder if Jesus was ever scammed? He knew the intent of those seeking his help,
and no doubt people did take advantage of him - some didn't even say "thanks". But we don’t read about this in
the Gospels. Could it be because that’s not how Jesus looked at what he gave
away and how he gave it? With no judgment but with love and generosity? That’s
the only way Jesus gave. Not so much with us.
Why?
Why can we nod in agreement when the Sunday reading tells us to love the
stranger and give all we have? And yet feel our trust and generosity steadily
chip away when we are disappointed? Do we believe in Jesus’ commandment to love
our neighbor – no matter what – or just think it’s a good idea most of the
time? Could it be that we don’t give our gifts freely, without invisible strings
tied to our sense of what is right?
And
what would it feel like to give as Jesus did? Somehow, I think it must feel
glorious, euphoric. And that’s the way I want to feel. How about you?
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