As I read this I think to myself “if they are going to make cigarette packages say ‘smoking causes cancer’ then McDonnald’s burger wrappers should say ‘fast food causes obesity and hypertension and heart attacks.’” But I guess the FDA doesn’t matter how fat we are as long as our lungs aren’t black, unless it is from smog.
Some of my friends are now using tumblr, and this is a recent development in their life. This caused me to have a revelation people use tumblr for one (or more) of a couple of reasons: post foolish gif pictures, complain how terrible their life is, or use it as a platform to be assholes. Since I rarely see any quality posts on tumblr (other than the well written witty trash talk that happens on occasion) I have to conclude that is an inferior form of social media. But then again there is no quality internet social networking site. So I guess I should join the club…that may make me a follower but at least I didn’t get fired from steak and shake.
Dakota!!!!
(Source: kkoopa)
I wrote a blog about this a few days ago, and wanted to revisit this topic. The first paragraph is the same story I told in the previous blog, and I continue from there. Enjoy
A few weeks ago I was getting gas somewhere and this man walked up and said he was out of gas and was trying to get home and asked if I could spare a few bucks. I had a five dollar bill in my wallet, I told him I didn’t have anything.
As I look back now I realize that when Jesus said “what you do for the least of these you to for(to) me” he meant that man who asked me for a few bucks to get just enough gas to get home.
A few weeks after that I was in Commerce getting gas—strange how this happens to me so much. I wonder if my ‘74 Beetle and long beard makes me more approachable. This old man who was quite obviously homeless came up to me and told me he had been walking for the past two days and asked if I would pray for him (“I’,m A Christian” he said). I told him I am a Christian too, and actually on my way to a Bible study. He asked if he could get a ride and maybe the people at the Bible study would be able to help him out—he wanted to sleep in a hotel. In my head I was saying “NO WAY!” but this resounding thought come in my head “this is what it means to be Jesus, love those who are hard to love.” I said yes and preceded to drive from Commerce to Buford with a homeless man. (My Bug doesn’t really go faster than 65mph so I drove back roads all the way there). On the way there I called some of the people at Bible study and let them know what was happening. They were reluctant and had no idea how to deal with this since we have never encountered this before, but we arrived and I made an announcement and a group of thirty-ish college students gave around $100.
Last night I was talking to one of the guys at Bible study about that incident. I told him that was very difficult for me because I didn’t feel rewarded. I did not get an emotional high that people get when they do “Christian service.” I honestly really uncomfortable. It was good for me to be uncomfortable, every other time I have done any “Christian service” it was convenient for me. This fifty-five year old painter from Virginia “inconvenienced” me and “imposed” himself and his needs on me. I finally got a tiny glimpse of what it means to serve without expectation.
I know giving an old man a ride is nothing compared to what Jesus did when he was inconvenienced, but a few weeks before that I lied lied to a man about FIVE DOLLARS! I guess the point of this blog is to encourage us to take steps toward acting like Jesus. If we can make ourselves aware enough to recognize these service opportunities when they ‘impose’ themselves on us maybe we will not have to be like I was pulling out of the gas station saying to ourselves “I should have given him that $5.”
The last blog I wrote had the challenge to buy a random person(that you do not know) lunch by February 11th. That challenge still stands, but I would also like to broaden this challenge to trying to think about this idea of serving people without getting anything in return. Jesus talked about having dinner parties and not inviting your wealthy friends, because they would in return have you over and you would be repaid. Instead invite the poor, the orphans, widow, and aliens (yeah the Bible has a tremendous amount of grace for aliens living in your country, think about it). Romans 12:1 seams to say that sacrifice is what worship is—quite different from what we experience in our churches.
My real challenge:
In light of the idea that sacrifice is worship I have a challenge. First discover what is valuable to you: clothes, money, food, time, or et cetera. Then find a way to waste that on someone who can’t compensate you for your giving. (This would be sacrificing; sacrifice is giving away something valuable). Now that you know what you value and you have an outlet to give this away….DO IT!! Give away that valuable thing. Maybe Jesus ministry will minister to people when we do the things Jesus would have us do.
a few weeks ago I was getting gas somewhere and this man walked up and said he was out of gas and was trying to get home and asked if I could spare a few bucks. I had a five dollar bill in my wallet, I told him I didn’t have anything.
As I look back now I realize that when Jesus said “what you do for the least of these you to for(to) me” he meant that man who asked me for a few bucks to get just enough gas to get home.
I think about southern culture and how prideful we are and how difficult it is to ask for anything. It is such a humbling and almost degrading (in our eyes) experience to come up to a stranger and say “I am flat broke and I am in need, can you help me?” I know I have just struggled through things just because I was afraid to ask, and this man worked up the courage and asked me for what I could have easily given. I lied to him.
How often do we pretend “turn the other cheek” means hide your face from those in need?
What are we going to do to make sure what we say we believe and what we actually do are consistant?
Challenge: by Februray 11th buy someone’s meal who you have never met in your entire life. We have a few weeks to get this done. And yes, if you are reading this and call yourself Christian then I expect you to do it as well. Heck, I double-dog dare you!
Vic Chesnutt was an Athens musician that died on Christmas day 2009. Jamie King introduced me to his music. The past few weeks I have wanted to do something crazy so I could feel something real. (kind of like the ‘near life experience’ in Fight Club [that is where they crash the car on purpose]) Vic Chesnutt’s music will make you feel something real, and you don’t have to drive your car off a bridge or into a tree, you just have to sit in front of your computer Like you and I do for hours every day anyway. (by the way I never wanted to drive my car into a tree. I wanted to figuratively do that [meaning I don’t actually do something that stupid or dangerous])
So go do it. Watch/listen to Chesnutt’s music, feel something real.
I kind of straightened my beard. Thoughts?
Melancholy |ˈmelənˌkälē|nouna deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness.
This seams to be an odd first post, but I used this word today and thought it would be fun to see how the Dictionary widget(in dashboard[for you Mac users]) defined it. I thought it was a beautiful description of what it means to be melancholy. It is not ordinary sadness that passes quickly but one that is deeply rooted in one’s soul; it is a sadness that fills one’s thoughts. It is a sorrow that has made your heart its domicile.
A good friend of mine showed me this video. It has nothing to do with Melancholy, but it is really cool.
