Monday, March 26, 2018

Payback

"It would be wrong for me not to come out here and help after I was helped...I plan to work until I drop or run out of diesel." (Jacksonville resident David Williams)

The Lent study has a lot to say about almsgiving. In the aftermath of the tornado, the questions for reflection take on another dimension. Does giving make us feel rich or poor? How do we decide where to give? Is it meaningful or just an inconvenience? Some disasters (cancer, nature's fury) bring out the selfless best in us, while others (mental illness, poverty) repel us. Why? Jesus also had things to say about giving. Although it's usually stated as a harsh pronouncement, the Old Testament "eye for an eye" rule was generous when compared to the typical response of escalating retaliation. The idea of equal reparation is appealing, but it's so hard to balance a revenge equation. How can we hurt someone in exactly the same amount that they hurt us?  We can win for sure by giving a little worse than we got. Or.... we could respond by turning the other cheek and giving a warm coat to our cold enemy. A generous idea exploded with grace!

Oddly, payback escalates in our response to good gifts too. When my friend's son was starting an egg business, I intentionally overpaid for eggs to help with his startup costs. He responded by throwing in a bag of his organic garden bounty along with my egg purchases. His payback far exceeds my own overpayment. If he was Whole Foods, I would be out some serious cash. The guy I quoted at the beginning was helped on the night of the storm and responded by helping others until he was exhausted and depleted of fuel for his machinery. For the record, I intend to steal that quote at the first opportunity, so when you hear me say that I will do something until I "drop or run out of diesel" you will know exactly where I lifted it.

We all know that payback is hell, but sometimes payback is heaven too.

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