Grace at the Stoplight

The other day I was at a stoplight and noticed to my left a man holding a sign.  His appearance suggested it had been a while since he showered, and the look on his face reflected a man whose dreams and goals had fallen far short.  The sign, made of misshapen cardboard, had lettering scribbled with a marker which read, “Homeless.  Need money.  God bless.”

These experiences always pull at my heartstrings.  They are abrupt interruptions of my normal routine of getting to and from the church, running errands, and picking up kids.  I’m usually left feeling so sad that one of the richest, most prosperous countries in the world could still have citizens who, for whatever reason, do not have access to the most fundamental needs.

As I sit at the light, I find myself averting my eyes hoping he does not approach because 1) I have no cash and 2) I am out of the Blessing Bags my congregation recently assembled for this very occasion. But I also find myself wondering if he truly is homeless.

Because, I negotiated in my head, he could very well be scamming those of us at this light and thus undeserving of any of our charity.  In this case, I would be absolved of any duty to help this man.  In fact, there was an article in the New York Post a few years back about a panhandler who earned $200 an hour begging.  I would only be supporting this farce, I said to myself. 

Then I started to think about grace.  As Lutherans, grace is a big part of our theology.  Grace is that “unmerited favor” that we, as Christians, enjoy because of a loving God.  And in turn, we are tasked to offer that same grace to one another.  No easy task. 

Considering this, does it even matter whether or not the man is truly homeless? 

I knew the answer—it doesn’t.

Because if my charity depended on him being “worthy” of it, or if I assigned certain criteria in order to receive it, well then it is not true grace at all.

Oftentimes our human condition pulls us away from the most important elements of our Christian faith:  sharing freely, not judging, offering grace.  These are difficult expectations for most people, but they are nonetheless important!

To live as Christians and to be followers of Christ, we must challenge ourselves to step outside of our human instincts and to love unconditionally and be boldly generous.

It sure isn’t easy.  But Jesus never said it would be.  That’s why we have the Holy Spirit and the community of faith to support us and encourage us.  We are never alone in these efforts.

So, the next time you find yourself peering into sad eyes of a person on the corner asking for money, be bold.  Roll down that window, give the person a smile, and share what you can. 

It might be the most faithful thing you do all week.

See you in church,

Pastor Brook