Hope Lives (Week Two)
All in all, it has been an incredibly challenging week as I’ve attempted to process my reading for Hope Lives (Week Two), prepare a sermon for Week Three, and attend a Circles Workshop offered by Teamwork for Quality Living in Muncie (discussing the process they use in helping people on their journey out of poverty). There is so much going through my tiny brain, that it has been really difficult to sort it all out.
I think one of the most challenging themes for me this week is the question the author asks – Who is my neighbor? Who exactly does God want me to help? I know, in my head, that my neighbor is who ever God places in my path. But I don’t always want to interact with my neighbor. There are times when they are a bit too irritating for my tastes. There are times when they are just too needy. There are times when the difference between us doesn’t seem worth crossing. And let’s face it, there are times when I just don’t like my neighbor – period.
And yet, despite my personal preferences (and personal laziness), God has called me to love my neighbor despite how I might feel at the moment. He has called me to just help them financially, He has called me to love them.
The author of Hope Lives writes: “I’m to give above even what is asked of me. True Christ-like generosity goes beyond just requirement. And giving isn’t about money. Jesus didn’t have wealth to give when he walked this earth. What he gave was attention, dignity, love, and respect to people as individual images of God. When I treat people like that, I’m giving them the greatest gift I have to give.”
“Jesus holds nothing back from me. He forgave me abundantly, he loves me abundantly, and he gives to me abundantly. That same spirit is what I want to have toward others. When asked what was most important, Jesus said first to love God and second to love your neighbor as yourself. The most important thing, second to loving God, is to love people. And not just any love, but over-the-top generous, self-sacrificing love. That’s what I’m called to freely give to others.”
Oh, how often I fail to give “freely” what Christ “freely” gave to me.
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