Cinder cone in Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
Have you ever noticed that it seems to be the people who are the least “Christian” who are the most generous and helpful? It’s not the way it should be; if we were really mirroring Christ, we would be the most loving, compassionate, and generous people on the planet.
A little arch in Pioneer Park, Utah
I remember an incident where we ended up with our van broken down at a garage after closing time. The owner did show up right about then because he was letting out a car that had been impounded. The owners of the car weren’t exactly model citizens (I won’t say anything about their abundance or lack of spiritual traits), but they were so generous, offering us all a ride to Las Vegas (a couple hours away), etc. They were going that direction anyway. We thanked them profusely, but we really had no reason to go to “Vegas”. The owner of the garage – who also didn’t seem to possess much in the line of spiritual traits – then not only let us stay in our van overnight in the driveway of his garage, but also told us of all the places we could visit in his city. They were all so generous.
The owner of the garage sent us to Pioneer Park, and it was both beautiful and fun
Jesus was also generous. The gospels are riddled with images and descriptions of His kindness and the love He poured generously even on the people who did not seem to deserve it. Paul the Apostle would later say, “[God] let all nations go their own way. Yet… He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” (Acts 14:16-17)
Monument at High Point State Park, New Jersey
Another year, we were in desperate need of water and out in the middle of nowhere. And so we all piled into the van and figured on a 4 hour round trip drive to get water – it’s a necessity; you can’t live without it. After about 30 minutes of driving, we spotted a convenience store, and one of my group members went inside with a five gallon water jug, hoping the owner might let us fill it up at a tap or spigot. He walked in, and there was the proprietress, sitting on the counter with an open beer can. I wouldn’t want to say that drinking beer makes you not spiritual (far from it), but in this case it was pretty obvious that this lady wasn’t exactly the Bible-toting type.
Mt. Stewart from Bean Peak, Washington – we got this view because we had water!
My group member got excited because it’s often people just like this who help us out – and sure enough, she was quite happy to let us get five gallons of water from her spigot. She did us another good turn, too – we purchased the one thing in the store we would have had a use for – some Styrofoam bowls – and ever since then we have found the convenience of throw-away bowls too good to resist for messy meals in the wilderness, like soup. At least, so sayeth the group members who have to wash the dishes.
Mt. Rainier from Longs Pass, not too far from Bean Peak in the Teanaway of Washington
However, that incident caused some serious soul searching on the part of my group member. Why was it that he was so excited to see a non-Christian, that he thought of these types of people as being more generous and giving and helpful than the Christians we have met?
Reynolds Mountain Trail, Glacier National Park, Montana
It’s not been a constant thing; I have certainly met Christians who have helped us out, and done so with incredible compassion and kindness, even sacrificially, with no motives of duty or hoping to earn “brownie points” with God. But in our most desperate times, it’s often the people who would not identify with Christianity who are the ones who turn aside to help – like the Good Samaritan in Luke 10.
Formations in “Angels” Garden, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah
I don’t know about you, but I want to be generous to the point that God can trust me to help the ones He sees as needing help – giving sunscreen to a young, very Caucasian, family who had forgotten their own, sharing a campsite with a father and son who came in when the campground was full, trying to call AAA for a fellow hiker whose car was having issues even though none of us had cell service, allowing a group to follow us through a snowfield because I happen to have a GPS and they felt more secure with us – though they could probably have found the end just as easily without one. Some of these, I’m convinced, had something spiritual on their side. Others did not seem down that line. But it’s ok. Jesus stopped for the one, and I want to be willing and able to do the same – whether they are Christian brothers and sisters or, as one preacher puts it, pre-Christians who simply need help.
