Crises Create Extraordinary Opportunities for Kindness

We see it over and over – a major crisis arises, and almost immediately the very best of humanity begins to emerge. We’ve observed this following natural disasters, such as floods, tornados, hurricanes and earthquakes. People and organizations mobilizing almost immediately to offer assistance in various forms. And we’ve been seeing it manifested as well in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Maybe many of us weren’t aware of it, but thousands of children from impoverished homes depend on free meals they receive at their schools daily. When the schools were closed because of health concerns, that left a void – and potentially empty young stomachs. But compassionate, ever-resourceful individuals and businesses have been stepping up to fill it.

One of my daughters took her children to a locally owned pizza restaurant for lunch. While they were awaiting their to-go order, she witnessed an extraordinary act of kindness. A mom with her little boy came through the door. The business had publicly offered a free meal to any child needing one, so she had brought her son to take advantage of the gracious offer.

A member of the restaurant staff looked at the little fellow and asked, “Are you hungry?” He nodded and quietly replied, “Yes.” “What would you like, a slice of pepperoni or cheese pizza?” the staff person asked. After he answered, she also handed him a paper bag containing a sandwich, crackers, apple, banana and grapes, along with small cartons of milk and juice. This act of generosity, as I understand it, has been repeated many times at the restaurant.

My daughter was so impressed by the gesture that when she paid for her own pizza order, she added a substantial tip to help offset the cost of the free food the restaurant was distributing.

I also read about a woman in another city who, in paying her restaurant bill, left a “tip” of $2,500 to be divided among the store’s employees, since many of them would be receiving reduced pay because of restrictions being enacted to contain the virus.

Then there was the major restaurant chain that delivered hundreds of meals for hospital staff working long hours to treat victims of COVID-19. In normal times, it’s so easy to focus on instances of selfish, self-centered behavior we often see displayed in society. But at times of crisis, it’s so heartening to see how people respond to opportunities to demonstrate care, compassion and generosity.

To me, this provides simple, straight-forward evidence that we’re not the products of some mindless, random, evolutionary process. Rather than taking a survival-of-the-fittest attitude, many of us rally together and find ways to help one another. Which points to the Judeo-Christian values that have served as the foundation for our nation since its beginnings. 

We have Jesus’ command to “do to others as you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12, Luke 6:31). Perhaps you have been a recent recipient of someone else’s kindness. Even if not, wouldn't we all appreciate such a gesture if we found ourselves in great need?

When asked to define the greatest commandment, Jesus responded, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” Then He added, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’”  (Matthew 22:37-39). Is there a better way to love our neighbors than to offer them our help?

Another passage gives a similar exhortation: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10). It is one thing to speak about the love of Jesus Christ; how much more powerful and effective it is to put the love of Christ into action when occasions arise. 

And the best thing about it, we don’t have to wait for another crisis. Even if we’re still practicing social distancing, it’s never too early to start envisioning some simple, caring acts. Kindnesses extended just because we should. If you ever wonder, “What would Jesus do?”, that’s something He would do – because He did them all the time.

Hands, Heads – or Hearts?

When you look at people, what do you see?

Recently I heard a speaker suggest that our perceptions of people typically lump them into one of three categories: Hands, Heads, or Hearts. Let me explain what this means.

When we view people as “hands,” we’re perceiving them as means for getting things done. Not much different than regarding a knife or fork for eating; shovel or hoe for gardening; or hammer or nail for doing home repairs. Basically, people are regarded as tools or mechanisms for accomplishing projects, goals and objectives. We can consider employees or coworkers in this way.

Viewing people as “heads” means they serve as measurements for success or effectiveness. We talk in terms of “head count.” On social media, we don’t really know most of our “friends” and contacts, but get excited by each one that “likes” something we’ve posted. Film producers eagerly anticipate box office reports of how many “heads” went to see their movies. Elections tally how many “heads” cast votes one way or another. Even churches are tempted to view congregants as “heads” – professions of faith, baptisms, members “joining the fold.”

The third alternative is to see people as “hearts” – real-life individuals, with faces, names, and genuine needs physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual in nature. I don’t recall in the Scriptures where Jesus ever saw people as hands or heads. But He definitely viewed them as hearts. In fact, that’s what stirred His own heart.

In John 11:35, we read the shortest verse in the English translations of the Bible: “Jesus wept.” It was right after the death of His friend, Lazarus, and He had just told the dead man’s sisters, Martha and Mary, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25-26). So why was He weeping?

The passage doesn’t specify the cause of Jesus’ tears – it might have been out of sympathy for the sorrow family and friends were feeling. He may have pondered how such tragedies ultimately were a consequence of the sinfulness of humankind. Jesus might have been responding to the reality that even though He soon would raise Lazarus from the dead, the man would have to die again. And of course, the Lord knew His own death would be necessary for the forgiveness of sins and salvation of those who would believe in Him.

No matter the “why,” it’s clear Jesus focused on the heart of the matter – and the hearts of people He encountered. Crowds of people (heads) surrounded Him one day, as recounted in Luke 8:40-48), but when a woman plagued by a bleeding problem for many years reached out, He responded to her heart’s deepest needs.

When He met a woman at a well in the Samaritan town of Sychar, Jesus spoke to her not only of her physical need for water, but also the spiritual thirst that had gone unquenched in multiple relationships. When He asked her to give Him a drink, Jesus did not see a “hand,” but a heart that had suffered a lifetime of pain.

In 1 Peter 2:21, we’re told Jesus left us an example so we should “follow in His steps.” He also instructed us to “do to others as you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). Could one way of doing that be to make certain that when we see people, we see hearts – and not just hands, or heads?

Years ago I heard someone explain the difference between “liberal Christians” and “conservative Christians.” Liberal Christians, he said, see “soulless bodies,” meaning their concern was primarily for the physical, temporal needs of people. Conservative Christians, he said, see “bodiless souls,” meaning they seemed to care little about people’s earthly concerns but focused on spiritual, eternal needs.

When Jesus saw people, I believe He recognized both physical and spiritual needs – He saw hearts, not hands or heads. Maybe we should pray that we would have His heart, and become more attentive to the “hearts” all around us?

A Faith of Opposites

My father used to have a saying, “More hurry, less speed.” In other words, sometimes the more we rush around, the busier we get, the less progress we make. A whiz at fixing things, he’d learned the folly of hastening through a repair job and then having to go back to correct mistakes.

I’ve seen this in business when someone makes the decision, “Do something, anything, even if it’s wrong.” The problem with that is most of the time we later have to undo what we could have avoided, if only we had taken the time to evaluate the plan before initiating it.

During the days when I was an avid NASCAR fan, I heard the commentators explain that at times the fastest way around a track is to slow down a bit in the turns. I never tried it but suspect that’s probably true, even though it seems counterintuitive. The fable of the tortoise and the hare affirms this principle.

Some of us discovered that in the realm of romance, even though we might think it should be the opposite, sometimes the best way to get someone’s attention is to ignore them. We used to call it, “playing hard to get.”

Nowhere do we see this “rule of opposites” more clearly than in the Christian faith. Jesus was the champion of counterintuitive belief in action. For example, in the sixth chapter of the gospel of Luke, He devoted considerable time to this concept, saying in essence, “If you think you know what to do, do the opposite.” For example:

• “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27).
• “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:28).
• “If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic” (Luke 6:29).
• “Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back” (Luke 6:30).

Then He said, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). These were radical words for Jesus’ time, and they remain just as radical today. Typically, our attitude seems to be, “Do unto others before they do unto you.”

Jesus went on to elaborate, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you?” (Luke 6:32-33).

With His hearers chewing on such curious food for thought, Jesus concluded by saying, “But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:35).

When you read those words, what’s your reaction? Do you think, “Sure, Jesus, no problem”? More likely we’re inclined to respond, “But Jesus, You have no idea what kind of people I have to put up with.” Then we remember, “Oh wait, He does!” His enemies, those that accused, cursed and mistreated Him, were the ones that refused to rest until He was crucified. We haven’t had to deal with hostility to that degree.

His response to them was exactly the opposite of what we would expect, the flip-flop of how we would have reacted. But Jesus should be our model, not some human leader that lashes out in vengeance when wronged. In fact, Hebrews 12:3 urges us to remember His example: “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

There are many other examples of our “faith of opposites” throughout the Scriptures. Jesus declared, “Whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25). Even being God incarnate, He stated, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45).

Jesus taught, “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). The apostle Paul, in contrast to his brash, self-righteous, forceful behavior before his encounter with Christ, affirmed, “I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Think on that for a minute.

So whenever we’re wondering what we should do – how we should act in our quest to live out our faith in Jesus Christ – it might help to ask ourselves, “What does impulse say that I should do?” And then, do the opposite.

What Does Loving Your Neighbor Look Like?

As citizens of this post-modern America, with fewer people holding the Bible in high regard or expressing confidence in what it says, we still often hear references to its teachings. One of those we most commonly hear is about “loving your neighbor.”

This principle has become a bit of a cliché, unfortunately, its meaning reduced to being understood essentially as blindly accepting, even condoning, what other people do – no matter what. After all, “judge not lest you be judged,” right? (Another overused, even misused biblical truth that’s taken on cliché status.)

If it were raining and you saw someone's car door
had been left open, what would you do?

But when Jesus stated, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39 and Mark 12:31), what did He really mean? In another passage, He elaborated on this somewhat, saying, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31). Again we need to ask, however, what does this look like? How are we to live this out?

Shouldn’t this mean a lot more than merely adopting a live-and-let live, “I’m OK, you’re OK” outlook on life?

This came to mind – appropriately I suppose – one Sunday morning as I was pulling into our church parking lot. Guiding my car into a vacant spot, I noticed one of the sliding side doors of the minivan parked nearby was open and the headlights were on. My first thought was that the owner was behind the vehicle out of sight. But after a few moments I saw no movement.

Someone walked past the minivan, glancing at it before he continued toward the church building. I got out of my car, grabbed my stuff and started to do the same. “Hey, it’s not my problem. If someone’s foolish enough not to close up their car, that’s no business of mine,” was the thought that admittedly breezed through my mind.

Then I stopped. “What if that were me? What if, for whatever reason, I was in a rush or distracted and failed to close up my car? Would I appreciate someone bothering to do it for me, even though it’s not their problem?”

So I retraced my steps, looked briefly into the minivan and saw some kids’ stuff strewn around, but not a person in sight. It took me all of about five seconds to push the button to close the side door and reach in the driver’s side to turn off the headlights, which apparently didn’t have automatic shut-off.

Since it had rained earlier that morning, perhaps a single mom had been trying to herd her children into the building without getting drenched, leaving the door open and the lights on. Or maybe it was a young couple with as many little kids as they had arms, forgetting details like doors and headlights. I’ll never know, because when I got back to my car an hour later, the minivan was gone.

This isn’t to commend my actions because after all, I briefly thought about ignoring the situation. But if circumstances had been reversed and I had been the one whose car door was left open and headlights still burning, I would have wanted someone else – even a stranger – to be kind enough to correct my oversight.

Seems to me, that’s what loving your neighbor is about.

Lessons from an Old Book

Recently I was thinking – as is my habit, and also the title of this blog – about people that talk about how antiquated and irrelevant they perceive the Bible to be. It’s a thousands-of-years-old book, they say, written and compiled in a totally different time, culture and environment. It no longer relates to contemporary living, they contend.

That’s interesting, because many of the values and principles we’ve embraced as a society – even today – can be traced to the Scriptures. Consider:

People are quick to say, "Love your neighbor." Where does that come from? The Bible, found in Mark 12:31. By the way, when Jesus made this enduring declaration, He described it as “the second greatest commandment.” What was the first and greatest commandment? “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). With that established, He then said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

People are also not hesitant to say we should, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." Where does that come from? The Bible, quoted in Luke 6:31.

We hear heart-touching stories about "good Samaritans," people who go out of their way – and sometimes risk considerable danger – to assist complete strangers. Where does that come from? The Bible, as part of Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, recorded in Luke 10:25-37!

From time to time we hear or read about someone straying away the strong values and practices of his or her family, but then returning after a time and being restored. We commonly refer to this person as a “prodigal son” (or daughter). Where does that come from? Of course, the Bible, a touching account also known as the parable of the lost son, told by Jesus and recounted in Luke 15:11-32.

Even in the entertainment world, movie titles unflinchingly use the term “sin,” and Las Vegas is nicknamed “Sin City.” Where does the notion of sin come from? The Bible, from front cover to back cover, describing humankind’s rebellion against God and proclivity for defying His laws that were intended for our own good.

There are many other examples I could cite, but I think I’ve made my point. It amazes me how easily – and in my opinion, ignorantly – people can choose to dismiss the Bible as being archaic, no longer applicable for life in the 21^st century. There are many books we consider classics today, and while they remain good to read, they don’t relate to life as we know it.

But the Bible? Even though some would vehemently argue to the contrary, I’m convinced it’s as timeless and eternal as the God who inspired its writing. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Giving Shouldn’t Be Just a Holiday Thing

Christmas is over, so the season for gifts and giving is over, right?

In the blink of an eye Christmas has come and gone. Final choruses of carols on the radio and in shopping malls have been sung. Gifts have been exchanged, cleverly designed wrapping paper now lies in shreds, and shouts of delight (and groans of disappointment) are fading echoes. In some homes Christmas trees have been taken down, with brightly colored ornaments packed and stashed away for another 11 months.

Salvation Army bells have been silenced, collection buckets hauled back to storage until next Thanksgiving. Annual fund drives for the poor and hungry have ceased. Many of us have contributed what we could to our favorite causes. Now we resume life as usual, post-holidays.

It’s great we can use the Christmas season to call special attention to people in need. That’s why some people call it the season of giving. But people aren’t hungry only in December. They need food and clothes and have bills they can’t pay in February, too. As well as June, September, and every other month. Financial struggles have no season.

Some of our holiday giving might have been prompted by school or church-sponsored “adopt a family” initiatives. Some of us chose the last month of the year to give because of tax benefits derived from charitable giving. Some of us gave because we felt sorry for folks standing at store and mall entrances, braving the elements so “the least of these” could receive tangible help. Even if our motives weren’t the purest, what we gave will certainly help someone.

Now as we prepare to bid adieu to another year and launch a new one to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne” (or a more contemporary tune, if you prefer), it might be good to remind ourselves that generosity shouldn’t be just something we remember over the holidays. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than receive” (Acts 20:35), and He certainly wasn’t talking to His followers about the Christmas season.

One of the benefits of giving is receiving the satisfaction of knowing we’ve assisted or pleased someone else. That’s certainly a good reason to give at any time of the year. But giving is also a part of our calling and responsibility as followers of Christ.

In fact, the concept of giving to people we don’t even like provided the context when Jesus discussed the so-called “Golden Rule.” “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you…. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:27-31).

Talk about hard sayings of Jesus! Being good to people who aren’t good to us? Then He explained, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that…. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great…” (Luke 6:32-35).

When I read this, I’m tempted to shout, “Jesus, You’ve got to be kidding!” But that’s what He said. Definitely counter-cultural, right? But He did mention a “reward.” What’s that about?

He concluded His brief discourse about giving with this promise: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:37-38).

We all enjoy receiving good things. So Jesus said we should be just as eager to give, whenever the opportunity arises, trusting we won’t go wanting as a result. In fact, we’ll be blessed more than we could imagine. So even though the “season of giving” is over, don’t forget to keep giving.