Last week we heard the story of Ted Williams, the homeless man with the golden voice, "discovered" outside Columbus, Ohio (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40944077/ns/today-today_people/). It was a great story of redemption. Of second chances. Of extended grace.
I loved hearing the tale and the way it played out: a local newscaster decided to shoot a video of Williams, a beggar on the side of the road with a sign saying he had a golden voice for radio but needed another chance. The newscaster's hope was that someone would see the video and respond. And respond they did. The vid went viral, being seen by millions, and job offers came pouring in. Overnight Ted went from nothing to over-the-top possibilities...and a new start.
There were a few things that stood out to me as I read and watched the stories that unfolded. I was impressed with the motivation of the man who made the video. He had nothing to gain from this act, except the knowledge that he did something good for someone in need. And I thought how much better our world would be if more of us determined to do good to those in need, not for personal profit, but simply because it's the right thing to do.
Then there was the remark Williams made to Matt Lauer, when asked what he would tell us about the homeless. He told him that we shouldn't assume the worst about the homeless, but should discover their stories, because everyone has a story and it needs to be told. And we need to listen.
Finally, in the outpouring of support people offered, many claimed that Williams deserved a second chance. Evidently, the fact that he had a gifted voice made people think he was entitled to another shot. Truth is, he deserved to be exactly where he was. Williams was an alcoholic and drug addict, had run afoul of the law, was a public nuisance, and was estranged from his family. His lifestyle and poor choices had run his life aground, and he ended up where he deserved. Did he deserve more than the next guy because he had a great set of pipes? What if he had no special gift, but was simply "ordinary?" Would he deserve less? No, the story isn't about being deserving, but rather about giving grace. And grace is a gift given freely, not to the deserving, but to those who don't deserve. That's life's story for us, as we stand before God, isn't it? What He gives us is a gift- His grace. And that grace- favor granted to those who don't deserve it- is the difference-maker in our lives.
Does Ted Williams deserve another chance? Hardly, since deserving is what you get for what you do. But should he be given the grace to have another opportunity do right, to be right? Absolutely. Our culture is built on that kind of thinking. More importantly, that's the way God chose to deal with us, granting us grace for another chance even though we deserved less. Much, much less.
I'm happy for Ted. Happy for us. Because with grace, everyone wins. And that sounds great, doesn't it?
Still mulling the wealth stuff (see posts from the 12th and 14th):
Most of us understand the feeling of seeing or being met by a homeless person who wants something from us. You know the drill- become stoic, look away, pretend you have something of great importance on your sleeve or on the passenger seat of your car, pass by as if he or she isn't there, and (if all this fails to deter), just say "no." You know.
Oh, we have our reasons and justifications for not parting with our stuff just because they don't have stuff. And some of those reasons may be...well, reasonable. But did you ever consider that sometimes you need to respond- not just for their sakes, but for YOURS?
Case in point: M
y family and I lived in the Philippines, the last six years in the mountain city of Baguio. It's a beautiful city, cool and often rainy, with a dampness that penetrates to your bones. You know the kind of dampness I'm talking about. One day as my wife Liz and I are leaving the market, we see a man sitting against a wall with a cup in front of him, begging for change. Actually, he is not doing anything, as his head is down between his knees, he looks as if he is mentally impaired (there's a fair amount of Baguio beggars like that), his bony body shivering.
As we pass by, Liz looked at him, then at me, and said, "I have to buy him a blanket." I agreed, although I reminded her that he would probably not have that blanket tomorrow, as his handlers (those who house many like him, taking the money they make as they provide room and board in return), would undoubtedly take it from him if no one else did first. "That's okay," she said. "I need to do it."
We doubled back to the market, purchased a locally woven blanket, and then proceeded to drape it around the quaking shoulders of this shell of a man. As we did so, I could feel the glare of those passing by, people snickering at us for being so "foolish," telling each other that the puraos (whites) were wasting money for something that would so quickly disappear. Sure enough, the next day the man was there at his post, curled up, quivering in the cold with his beggar's cup...and no blanket.
We could have considered our act of compassion to be a waste of time and money- 
except for one thing. God had impressed upon Liz's heart to give, and in that moment she responded to His prompting. She recognized that sometimes the call to share is not only for the recipient but also for the giver. She knew that each time God moves our hearts to act in love and we refuse, our hearts become a little harder- and less apt to respond the next time. And she did not (and does not) want a hardened heart before the Lord. So she gave, not just because a man was cold, but also because she did not want to become cold.
I know there are those always asking, always taking, always expecting something from us. We won't give to everyone. We probably can't. But we can ask God to keep our hearts soft, our grips loose, and our eyes focused on the needs of those around us.
Not only for them, but for our own souls as well.
I loved hearing the tale and the way it played out: a local newscaster decided to shoot a video of Williams, a beggar on the side of the road with a sign saying he had a golden voice for radio but needed another chance. The newscaster's hope was that someone would see the video and respond. And respond they did. The vid went viral, being seen by millions, and job offers came pouring in. Overnight Ted went from nothing to over-the-top possibilities...and a new start.
There were a few things that stood out to me as I read and watched the stories that unfolded. I was impressed with the motivation of the man who made the video. He had nothing to gain from this act, except the knowledge that he did something good for someone in need. And I thought how much better our world would be if more of us determined to do good to those in need, not for personal profit, but simply because it's the right thing to do.
Finally, in the outpouring of support people offered, many claimed that Williams deserved a second chance. Evidently, the fact that he had a gifted voice made people think he was entitled to another shot. Truth is, he deserved to be exactly where he was. Williams was an alcoholic and drug addict, had run afoul of the law, was a public nuisance, and was estranged from his family. His lifestyle and poor choices had run his life aground, and he ended up where he deserved. Did he deserve more than the next guy because he had a great set of pipes? What if he had no special gift, but was simply "ordinary?" Would he deserve less? No, the story isn't about being deserving, but rather about giving grace. And grace is a gift given freely, not to the deserving, but to those who don't deserve. That's life's story for us, as we stand before God, isn't it? What He gives us is a gift- His grace. And that grace- favor granted to those who don't deserve it- is the difference-maker in our lives.
