Hardly a day goes by when I do not receive a couple of phone
calls and letters inviting me to donate some money to a worthy cause.
Hardly a year goes by without one of my kids or my house or my car also needing
some financial help. Sometimes the steady drumbeat of financial needs
makes me wonder if perhaps the only thing important about me is is the money I
have to give to others.
Most of us are familiar with the story Jesus told about the
Good Samaritan (Luke14:25-37). A Jewish man was riding through a mountainous,
remote area, when he was robbed, beaten, and left in the road "half
dead". A Samaritan came along the road. Samaritans and Jews
were the bitterest of enemies. Yet when the Samaritan saw the man in the
road, he was moved with compassion. He braved the danger and stopped,
giving the injured man emergency medical aid. and transporting him to an
inn. He then paid the innkeeper and directed him to care for the man
until he had fully recuperated. That would have been a substantial
expense.
What was Jesus doing with this story? He was showing
us what it means to love your neighbor. Jesus shows us the Samaritan
responding to the material, physical and economic needs of the injured Jew ----
the Samaritan planned for the injured man's recovery and paid all the related
expenses. But, the Samaritan's time with the injured man was brief ----
he did not give much of himself, other than his money.
I realize that this is exactly what most of my
charity-giving requests are asking of me. Would I simply write a check,
mail it and thus be done with this particular charity ---- until next
year? This is not enough to really satisfy me, and perhaps you feel the
same way. We each have more to give "our neighbor" than just
our money!
Three on-going activities at Central Church show us ways to
help us fill this "giving gap". One is the annual Central Church High
School Mission Trip, where more than 40 teenagers and adults go for a week to
live in some needy place, to do some construction repairs on houses and
roofs. But, most importantly they develop relationships with their destination
hosts.
The "hosts" are so different in life experience
from the Central Church Mission trippers, that the latter must exit their
shells and give something of themselves. So, it is no longer
merely about giving money. But, what do they give? For the
children of the "hosts," who may be seriously considering dropping
out of school, or who have no real plans for their lives, our Mission Trip
teenagers encourage these host kids to raise their sights ---- they can help
the kids define a vision for themselves that could be more fulfilling and
perhaps even more financially rewarding. But will only a week of contact
and friendship do this in a lasting way? We do not know until we give it
a good "college" try.
Now, consider the Elizabethport Tutorial Program which meets
at Central Church every Tuesday evening from October until April. On a
typical Tuesday night over 100 kids gather in the Central Church
auditorium. We bus 40-45 students to Summit from the Elizabethport
Presbyterian Center, and they are joined by about 70 teenage tutors from local
high schools. On-going relationships develop between student and
tutor. The tutors find themselves encouraging their students to apply
themselves more fully, and for many students the encouragement of the tutors
has boosted student career goals and study habits.
The tutors are not giving out money ---- they are giving
something more priceless. They are giving their own example as
achievers, and showing the Elizabethport students some of the things that are
possible for them in the future. This is a lasting gift.
A totally different Central Church practice is the
"Midnight Run." Each month or so, Central youth and
accompanying adults, make a hundred or so sandwiches and a supply of coffee or
soup, and troop into places in New York City where homeless folks are known to
gather in the evenings. It may be under bridges or in city parks.
There they deliver their gift of food. But, more than that, they talk
with these "friends" whom they sometimes will meet again on
subsequent "Midnight Runs." The great thing about this endeavor
is that each side discovers they are dealing with real people. Each
shared story is different for both the Central Church participants and the
homeless, but the encounter is not quickly forgotten. Which do you think
is worth more? The sandwiches and soup, or the cordial human encounter?
Sure, not-for-profits will continue to ask for your money
and mine ---- they must do so in order to keep going. But, ask yourself
whether you have something more to give "your neighbor" than
merely your money.
____________________________________________________________________________
These thoughts are brought to you by Central's Adult
Spiritual Development Team, hoping to encourage some personal spiritual growth
this year at Central Church.
____________________________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment