Little Things for a Larger Audience

Something thoroughly unspectacular happened in my office's break room the other day. There alone and ready to return to work, I tossed a straw over toward the trash bin. It missed. I shrugged and started toward the door, but hesitated when I thought about the janitors whose job it is to clean up after us every day. They probably struggle just as I do to keep up with their work, I thought, so why not stoop down, pick it up and throw it away myself? I did so, and as I did, felt a sense of being momentarily flushed with the presence of God's Spirit. That gave me pause. Could it be that God is acutely interested in the actions we take when no one is looking and nothing monumental is at stake?

Years ago, I preached a sermon about "little things" from Genesis 23, the little things being the actions and attitudes of Abraham while arranging for the burial of his wife Sarah. In that less-than-thrilling story Abraham showed himself to be faithful to God and his wife, humble in his dealings with others, and generous to a fault. Yet he was doing nothing spectactular or noteworthy. To the contrary he was busy with the depressing, mundane tasks associated with burying the love of his life. There were no crowds watching, no heroic exploits being performed. But this sort of difficult, dreary and lonely setting  is just where we should expect character to be tested most powerfully.

Character defines who we really are, which is best discovered in the secret places and the predictable, unexciting drudgery that makes up so much of our daily experience. It would be a mistake, however, to think that strictly no one is watching us during such times. "The eye of the Lord is in every place," says the Scripture, "keeping watch on the evil and the good" (Prov. 15:3). Indeed, God watches our behavior most interestedly, and seems to take paticular pleasure in acts performed for his eyes only. Again and again Jesus declared that the greatest eternal rewards are found by those who reject the plaudits and praises of men, instead serving the Lord's purposes for his own sake: "And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly" (Matt. 6:4, 6, 18). This should be an encouragement for anyone who really wants his work to count, for our God is far and away the largest audience of all.

Tribute to a Man of God

My brother in-law, brother in Christ, and friend Barry Parker passed away unexpectedly this last weekend, between Christmas and the New Year. I am writing this brief tribute because to me Barry was not a typical Christian, but a genuine standout.  

Upon the passing of some men, we have to search around a bit for good things to say. Not so with Barry. He lived* an exemplary life of Christian sacrifice and service, so that words of commendation come easy. Barry did not merely pass away; he left a priceless gift to those who knew him in the example he set for us. 

What made Barry such a remarkable character? Exactly that: His character. He served his country in the military, served the sick in the medical industry, and then served his church as a pastor, foreign missionary, and evangelist. More importantly, he served his immediate family with an example of leadership that some men can only hope to emulate. (To know his wife and children is to know this to be true; to various degrees and in various ways they reflect his influence.) Most importantly of all, he served God with all his heart. Indeed, because of that love for God serving in general seemed to come naturally and joyfully to Barry. Two days before his passing, he tweeted this message: “How you love those who do not love you back and give to those who have nothing to give in return is the truest reflection of your character.”  

Now, all of this is not to say that Barry was syrupy-sweet (and he would be the first to acknowledge his own sinfulness). To the contrary, he held to some serious “old school” convictions that gave him a somewhat gruff veneer. And he was no stranger to conflict or controversy. (He and I certainly did not agree about everything!) But like the proverbial “teddy bear,” his gruffness very thinly overlaid a warmth and compassion for others that clearly ran deep. If that didn’t win you over, the highly animated sense of humor did. I could go on, but the description so far has left me with an impression that speaks most highly of the man: Despite the inescapable flaws of his humanity, Barry reminded me just a little bit of Jesus.

 

*I hesitate to speak of Barry in the past tense, for I am confident that he is alive even as I write, but will do so for the sake of clarity and convention.