The person who does not love does not know God because God is love. 1 John 4:8
I just came back from a shopping trip with a friend at a nearby mall. There was a homeless man (who I shall call Mr H.) outside the mall who was begging for money. Mr H has always been at this spot and I always expect to see him when I go shopping. However, this is the first time that he actually tried to talk to me individually. He tried to explain that he had tried to get shelter nearby home (or shelter or something) but they required R2900 per month. He said he didn’t have a job and could not afford it. He also said he’d tried to go to the police to see if they could help him with shelter or a job but they (the police) had said that they could do nothing for him. He then shook what looked like one rand or so (in twenties) in my face. I think he was hoping that by seeing this I would understand how desperate that he was and show him some compassion. As usual, I was afraid of him, acted like I was ignoring him, like he didn’t exist. I hoped that, on my return journey, he would not be there or would not remember me so that I would not have to deal with his presence again or suffer the guilt of ignoring him.
While shopping, I decided that it might be a good idea to give Mr H a few coins to add to his collection. He was still there when I came back. Fear kicked in and I chose not to give him the coins that I set aside for him. I walked passed him, whilst complaining to my friend about the fact that my shopping was too heavy. This time, Mr H did not try to interrupt us. I guess he could understand, from the way I ignored him the last time, that I was not prepared to help him. As we walked back to our residence, my friend and I noticed that it was getting cold. I was nearly blown off the sidewalk by the chilly wind. I made a mental note to switch on my heater and prepare a warm meal once I got to my flat. Of course, I had already forgotten about Mr H behind me who was going to have to brave the chilly night wind with no shelter and an empty stomach. God, in His patient, gentle way, reminded me of 1 John 4:15-19
While shopping, I decided that it might be a good idea to give Mr H a few coins to add to his collection. He was still there when I came back. Fear kicked in and I chose not to give him the coins that I set aside for him. I walked passed him, whilst complaining to my friend about the fact that my shopping was too heavy. This time, Mr H did not try to interrupt us. I guess he could understand, from the way I ignored him the last time, that I was not prepared to help him. As we walked back to our residence, my friend and I noticed that it was getting cold. I was nearly blown off the sidewalk by the chilly wind. I made a mental note to switch on my heater and prepare a warm meal once I got to my flat. Of course, I had already forgotten about Mr H behind me who was going to have to brave the chilly night wind with no shelter and an empty stomach. God, in His patient, gentle way, reminded me of 1 John 4:15-19
If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God. And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the Day of Judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love. We love because He loved us first.
God resides in me. Just as Jesus is so am I in this world. Jesus’ main mission was about love. I remembered how I had treated the Mr H and was extremely sorrowful. Christ came into the world to show and share God’s love. He called me into His marvellous light so that I could, knowingly, experience, share and celebrate this love with Him and with those around me. He reminded me of the countless number of times that I have been to church, claimed to be a believer and the even more numerous times that I had shied away from this confession when faced with opportunities like the one I just mentioned. I was then reminded that
‘whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.’ Colossians 3:17
I am sure that, beyond any doubt that the way I had treated the Mr H was nothing close to anything that is included in the phrase ‘in the name of the Lord’. I could pretend and say that I was trying not to encourage Mr H’s dependency on charity and that I was trying to help him realise that he can’t expect to live life off other people. But, the truth is that was not what was in my heart at the time. I was not showing ‘tough’ love or any kind of love, for that matter. Mr H was an inconvenient interruption in my life and I had treated him as one would treat an insect on one’s windscreen; spray water and wipe the filth off. It’s very humbling to be shown the nature of one’s own heart. It is not the act (or the lack of it) that really matters. It’s the heart with which the act is (or is not) carried out.
‘But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.’ 1John 1:9
