Are you judgmental? Do you pass down judgments like you’re a judicial official in a court of law?
Who am I, to judge others? I’m just one of y’all. You’re just one of us.
I recently read an uplifting article about Brad Paisley, the country music star, and his wife, Kimberly Williams, the actress. They wanted to instill in their children of privilege, the best attitude toward those not born into wealth.
They started a grocery store, then another, in Tennessee, resembling one they toured in California, for folks who need a little help and support with groceries and other stuff found in a supermarket. People get to keep their dignity and shop, selecting their own groceries just like any other market, and the purchase price is mercy.
The article pointed out that eligibility to shop in The Store, requires referral from social or governmental programs, and lasts one year. The Store is intended to lift folks back onto their feet after they’ve fallen on hard times for whatever reason.
When I read this, the first thing I thought was, what a wonderful idea and it warmed my heart. Then, secondly all the judgment thoughts began to raise their ugly heads.
Just who deserves this kind of help? Do I? Does my neighbor? How about this friend and that acquaintance? Do you have to be a certain age, have a certain skin color, or tax bracket?
What defines hard times? Do you have to be an addict, homeless, a senior, or single parent?
What is temporary? A week, a month, a quarter, or a year?
What if you’re working but all of a sudden, it’s just not enough? What if the bottom falls out of the pay check to pay check path and you can’t wait until the next pay check?
Didn’t you save anything for a rainy day? Maybe you had so many rainy days that, mirroring a flash flood, your savings were drained, dry. Maybe the unexpected became the norm and there’s nothing left to spread any thinner.
What if your umbrella turned inside out and your safety net became tangled around your hands and feet? Do you deserve help and support now?
Exactly when does a person deserve compassion? What does it look like to deserve something? Do you have to look sad, poor, dirty, or needy? Is that human dignity, the kind you and I deserve?
We’ve probably all observed somebody or maybe even whole generations of families who have taken advantage of and worked “the system” of U.S. Government benefits for those living through hard times. But, should the few who abuse the umbrella system unfairly, spoil the help for those who humbly need a little help from a friendly face or place? Think about it.
If there is a time of year or season for giving, this is it. It’s Christmas time and we’re generally in a giving mood, if we can, how we can. The Wise Men or Magi came from afar to bring gifts to the Christ Child. The Shepherd Boy brought gifts, as did the Little Drummer Boy. This is not to mention, the whole culture of Santa, elves and reindeer, the entire North Pole and Mrs. Claus, doing their part to give, give, and give some more. We mimic such giving at Christmas.
Who deserves gifts? Do you have to behave yourself to deserve a gift or do you get a lump of coal?
Are you giving “out of the goodness of your heart,” or out of obligation? Do you give because the recipient deserves it, by meeting certain conditions?
If you deserve something supposedly you merit it, earned it, worked for it, or did something to justly receive this reward or punishment. You get what you put in. Thusly, you get the nice gift, or lump of rock in your stocking.
You have a right to expect to receive something you earned; you deserve it. If you worked you should expect to be paid, If you did something measurably wrong, you should expect consequences. This is classic, scientific, cause and effect.
What if you don’t deserve it but get it anyway, the gift or lump? How fair is that?
Well, this is getting into the real meaning of Christmas. If you’re in a gift-giving mood, it’s this real meaning of Christmas in play.
None of us works enough, gives enough, or loves enough, to deserve what we receive at Christmas. We don’t deserve grace and mercy.
Grace is unmerited favor. It’s a free gift that we don’t deserve and didn’t earn, and we maybe even deserve the opposite, but mercy kicked in.
The biblical book of Luke outlines the birth of Christ and also says, “give and you shall receive.” So, maybe we should practice giving with grace this season and just do the first part of the Luke scripture: “give” and let God deal with the fulfillment of the second half of the sentence.