
Saturday night was our first Roller Derby experience. Anytime you go to a new sporting event you realize that you’re stepping into a sub-culture of people with its social dynamics, both fascinating and a little quirky. This was no exception.
About half way through the evening I left my coat in the bathroom. When I went back to get it, the coat was gone. I asked a sweet Hispanic woman who was sweeping the floors if she had seen a jean jacket that was left in one of the stalls. Without using words the woman motioned for me to follow her to the trash can. Apparently she had hidden my coat at the bottom of the trash bin, underneath the plastic bag.
She seemed a little embarrassed when she handed me my coat, almost as if to apologize. I’m not sure what she intended to do with the coat but I was grateful to get it back. As I turned to walk back to my seat, putting the coat back on to stay warm, a “sense” or a “feeling” came over me that I can’t explain except to say that its familiar….and its something I’ve learned to listen to as a way that God communicates with me….
A couple of nights ago I pulled out a childhood book of mine to read to Naomi. The book is called, “The Boy Who Gave His Lunch Away,” and its an adaptation of the story in the Gospels of the boy who gave his bread and his fish to Jesus and Jesus miraculously multiplies it to feed thousands. The author of the book imagines what this boy’s family life might have been like to prompt him to give his lunch away like this. He describes the boy’s father as generous man of faith who teaches his son saying, “we eat what we need and we give the rest away…”
As I walked away from this sweet woman who cleaned the bathrooms and swept the floor I sensed that the coat I was wearing wasn’t mine to keep.
I turned back around, found the woman and handed her my coat saying, “I’d like to give you this coat.” She could have refused it…. and in that case, I probably would have kept it, but…. the woman looked me in the eyes and said in broken english, “for me?” I responded, “Yes. I’d like you to have it.” And she took it with a big smile on her face.
As NieuCommunities we’re studying 1 & 2 Peter, looking at what it means to be a Holy People, reflecting a Holy God. 1 Peter 4: 10 & 11 in The Message it says, “Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all can get in on it; if words, let it be God’s words, if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s Bright Presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and HE will get all the credit as the mighty one in everything…”
Our acts of generosity are an expression of God’s bright presence for the world!
I tell this story not to brag on how great I am that I gave my coat away (a coat that I actually liked, by the way
). There are plenty of opportunities for me to give my things away in my own neighborhood everyday. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. I tell this because I think I tasted the holiness of Jesus in an encounter with one of God’s beloved children at a roller derby event. And her smile was beautiful.
Jesus lived a Holy life on earth. He loved and served in perfection. But he didn’t stop for everyone. He couldn’t! He was God but he was also human. Jesus heard the voice of his father and he obeyed, knowing who to love and serve when.
A central part of holiness is listening to the voice of the Father.
……..
So I listened…. this time. God spoke to me and I obeyed…and I got to reflect the generous heart of my Father in heaven. Perhaps the most notable posture of a holy people is simply to listen to the father, obey and receive the gift of God’s bright presence, both for us and for those around us. What an honor.