charity – Writing to Pray

Neighbors and Internal Peace

I met a Congregational minister the other day as I was leaving work; we stood in the parking lot for a solid twenty minutes talking about this and that. She said in reference to her job, “It’s the best job in the world; all’s I have to do is love people. That’s it!” Me too, I had said. I work as an Activities Specialist serving those with Dementia. My job is to know, listen and pay attention to folks, to bring joy, love and peace where possible.

But even loving people all day long ain’t a cake-walk. It’s too easy to become absorbed in intentional or accidental insults or dismissals; personal insecurities and anxieties creep and/or leap into word, deed and perception.

My mom used to say that while the compromising and negotiating required in an intimate relationship is not a breeze, when we live alone, we are super susceptible to self-absorption, selfishness and self-centeredness. As I have lived alone most of my life, she used to advise me to put myself into situations in which I was compelled by circumstances to think of others not myself.

This week’s gospel reading, the parable of the Good Samaritan, led me to reflect on Mom’s words. When I started to analyze the time and energy I spent on self verses other as an either/or I was appalled and embarrassed at the imbalance.

I’ve begun to intentionally recalibrate this equation. I encourage myself to ask, “What’s going on for Suzy-Q? How is God present here? Is there anything merciful or compassionate I could be doing to help?” Considering these questions brings me more peace and joy then crossed-eyed, near-sighted, navel gazing.

In last week’s gospel Jesus promises internal peace, but perhaps this is not possible if one is not focused on others to a greater degree than on oneself. What do you think?

Journal Questions:

1. What is the current proportion between time and attention I give to myself vs. others?
2. What could or might I do to shift the balance?
3. I will return to this journal topic in a few weeks to discuss the impact of any changes I’ve made.

Psalm 145
Matthew 20:1-16

The men toiling in the fields from sun-up to sun-down in our gospel reading must have been exhausted, but those hanging around Labor Ready didn’t have an easy time of it either. They were at the mercy of a landowner to give them employment; families need food which cost money. Certainly, these household heads would’ve preferred working. Remaining available and being consistently passed over with financial worries preying on the mind is no picnic.

In the gospel, God is the merciful landowner, in the psalms a King. In the psalm, the word ‘all, every, kol’ is used seventeen times, suggesting and highlighting the universal and comprehensive nature of God’s generous care (6). In movies, books and plays, kings and courts celebrate exuberately, usually with a lavish feast, when they can do a good deed for their people. In other words, they find joy in generousity.

If we contemplate the psalm-gospel connection, we may remember acts of generosity and compassion warrant joy and celebration. An acrostic peom, such as this psalm, seeks to expand and extend its emotion exposition to the full potential of the alphabet and the language. Likewise, should not our gratitude for the King’s generosity be expressed with excessive jubilee? And like the King, should we not also find joy in being merciful, compassionate and generous?

Journal Questions:

Have I ever been unemployed? What did I do with my time? How did I feel during and afterwards?
When have I felt joy because of relief from financial worry?
What is my general attitude towards charity? When have I enjoyed being generous?

References: Refer to blog post entitled Resources

Tag: charity

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