"Depletion"

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
--Mahatma Gandhi

"Human benevolence is mingled with vanity, interest, or some other motive."
--Mark Twain

I study commercials, watching the interaction of the actors and actresses, the focus of the message, the humor, the drama, the stupidity. The result is simple: selling products or services. From time to time though, a spot captures my attention. In fact, my interest currently targets a Liberty Mutual campaign. They sell insurance. As the advertisement unfolds, a citizen shows another a good deed, an act of hospitality, safety, kindness. The camera focuses on the simple act and then turns to someone else, an unknown stranger watching the gesture from close proximity. And in the next shot, the previous bystander decides to be gracious to another. This process is repeated multiple times. The commercial closes with this tagline: "When it's people who do the right thing, they call it being responsible; when it's an insurance company, they call it Liberty Mutual." I'm having difficulty reconciling responsibility with generosity: is this the basis of kindness? Or does it run deeper? Does it thread humanity together?

People pray to God with noble intentions, asking for his continued intervention. Removing poverty, ushering peace, clothing the nude and brining nourishment to the famished are petitions uttered on a global scale. In the Scriptures, a narrative unfolds around Jesus. He is finished with his teaching for the day, and the people are becoming hungry. The disciples ask him to send the people to the villages for food. But the answer from the teacher is surprising: "You give them something to eat." Befuddled, the disciples wonder how they will pay to feed the large crowd. So Jesus takes what is available, five cakes of bread and two fish, and gives thanks. The people eat well and leftovers are collected. I have always noticed the Scriptures state 5,000 eat this day. But 5K is the number of men. And since families are with the father, 10-12K is likely. Jesus likes to challenge people who ask for his exclusive direction. His reply is simple: "Take what you have available and create change."

Two films come to mind. The first is "Pay it Forward" (2000), directed by Mimi Leder, a film I consistently reference. Trevor McKinney, like Anne Frank, believes in the goodness of humanity. He decides to undertake a project--repaying kindness forward instead of back. And therein lays the caveat, the oddity of the task. When people show others kindness, they are surprised, dare I say shocked. Why is this? The West is underscored by a foundation of individuality. People are resources to achieve objectives, tools for personal gain, disposed when they are unneeded. Is this picture harsh or a vision of reality? When charity is shared, the recipient feels obligated to return the favor. They cannot loose the sense of debt, the give and take relationship which ebbs and flows in society. The second film I wish to note is "Evan Almighty" (2007), directed by Tom Shadyac. In this particular narrative, God asks Evan Baxter, the anchor now senator, to build an ark before a flood arrives. Reluctant, Evan dismisses the commission and continues to go forth with his personal challenge to "change the world". The animals begin arriving and Evan's physical appearance drastically changes. So he decides to follow through. As the film closes, Evan converses with God and discovers the deeper meaning of his large boat. People change the world by building a personal A.R.K. A random act of kindness can change the world.

The church I attend is deciding to show kindness in the county it resides in. The series title captures the thought well: "Random Acts of Christmas". But the series is built on a foundation with deeper roots, a mantra, a mindset of service. We are giving ourselves away. In this Christmas season, the church community is showing kindness to complete strangers with acts of kindness. The catch is very simple: pay it forward and nominate someone truly in need this season. Groceries for a year, gas for a year, a college scholarship and two cars are part of the list being given away to families. Why is a church willing to do this? Why are people willing to do this? This statement is now reduced to a cliche, but the staying power continues to remain in effect. St. Paul writes, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

As the race for the White House continues to draw near, the call for public service continues to be studied. And oddly enough, studies confirm the validity of this challenge. Research notes people who volunteer have higher feelings of satisfaction than those who don't. But will imposing service diminish willing participants? Time will tell. It appears citizens are deciding to dive in without the call of the government. They are deciding to leverage the abilities and talents they have for the sake of others, without expectation of return. Humans always compare themselves with others, focused on who has what, who lacks what. And it is always easier to hope others will take the initiative, but why wait?

As Christmas draws near, I cannot help but remember George Bailey. "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), directed by Frank Capra, returns once again Christmas Eve. I am thankful to say I have it on DVD now, and will no longer suffer through advertisements before the story returns. As I think about this kind fellow, wonderfully portrayed by Jimmy Stewart, I see a man who gives himself away the duration of the film. He decides to forgo college so his younger brother can; a newlywed, he gives his money for the honeymoon to the town's citizens. He passes on a lucrative investment opportunity to bring shelter to those who need it. And when a large sum of money is misplaced, he wonders whether his giving has been in vain. He begins to pray at the bar in a scene a good friend of mine believes is one of the best in film history. I am inclined to agree. His good friend Clarence shows him how wonderful his life is, how many people he has helped. Those people rally to help him. In the closing scene, friends and family descend on the Bailey's. My eyes tear up thinking about it. It is good to share kindness with others, with both friends and those not known on a personal level.

St. Paul references his life as a "drink offering, poured out in the service of others." Genuine benevolence is the drained fluid. Even Jesus, executed as a radical revolutionary by religious leaders, literally drained his life for others with the puncture of his side on a death cross. Kindness and charity are replenished through solitude, through personal cost, through meditation, through friends. No man is a failure who has friends. So when the Christmas season has passed, when March 22nd arrives, when it is simply another day in work, in school, in lunch, in front of the computer, the television, remember to raise a glass for giving yourself away for others the year round. Why? Love, pure love for all. Then drain the cup dry and start over.

Comments

[Dana Elizabeth]

I liked this a lot. "Take what you have available and create change." The whole thing was nice to read and once I finished reading it I understood what the title meant. Well done.

[marcibug624]

I mentioned to a friend the other day that the church's Random Acts of Christmas program reminded me of the movie "Pay it Forward," and she said that she saw the movie so long ago that she really didn't remember what it was about. That shocked me! That movie impacted me trememdously! I haven't seen Evan Almighty yet, but what you say about it makes me want to see it. Is there a significance to March 22? I haven't found one yet, but you know me, I tend to overanalyze the simple and miss out on the complex!