A thousand years ago a man lived in what is now referred to
as Italy. He had a family. He had a wife, kids, maybe even a dog or cat
or two. What do we know about him? Nothing.
Then did his life have meaning, did he make a difference? And if not, are we any different? Won’t someone looking back at us after a
thousand more years of this earth’s history know nothing about us, and perhaps
determine our existence was meaningless.
We look that way at our 1000 year gone Italian man. How are we any more significant than he
was? No, this is not an exercise in depression,
it is a challenge to determine real meaning.
The man who lived a thousand years ago may have invented a
tomato sauce we use in pasta to this day, though his name is lost in the years
that follow. His recipe may be a staple
in our diets without recognition, reward, or notice. Fact is we have no way of knowing how large a
contribution he made on our world. His
anonymity does not reduce what he may have done, only our recognition of who
was behind it. Let’s face it, not too
many people devote their lives to memorizing historical references of people
making contributions to society. Oh
sure, we remember the real ‘stand outs’ but the countless schmoe’s who live
their lives in relative obscurity, even when they do something semi-grand are
less remembered if at all. So does it
take ‘greatness’ and name-recall to achieve making a difference?
When Christ walked this earth, His life was filled with
countless acts of charity. Not for fame,
not for reward, not for recognition – simply because He wanted to live this
way. He simply chose to serve others
throughout His entire life. He did not
have to. He was certainly worthy of
being served, not doing the serving. The
Bible is full of stories of people whose lives were touched by Christ in deep
and personal ways. But you’re just
reading the tip-of-the-iceberg in these accounts. 33 years of service, and probably thousands
of personal encounters. Entire villages
healed of disease. And still He lived
performing simple acts of random kindness for those He came across. His teaching did not prevent Him from
serving. And even without the grandeur
of the plan of salvation, His simple life of service turned the world upside
down.
Our problem is we look at the wrong things as being
important. We focus on our own fame,
when we consider whether our life has had meaning (even if we limit our view of
fame to those who know us). We look to
leave behind some sort of legacy that will substantiate our lives. We look for greatness. We should be looking the other
direction. We should look to a series of
small unnoticed acts of service to others.
Not to find yet another way of becoming famous for it, but simply
because we chose to live that way. The
value and impact on the world you leave behind you is directly proportionate
for what you do for others – anonymously.
Christ had no need to go around performing service to trumpet His name
among the people. He did not heal
someone and tell them to go out and brag about it for Him. No, often He told them to keep it a secret. He did not want fame to interfere with His
mission. Think about it, God on earth,
who lives a life specifically designed to avoid attention.
Where we seek notoriety, Christ sought humility. We must find a way to give, and keep it to
ourselves. Let the giving we do reflect
our life choice not our desire to seek fame.
Give the homeless man a dollar or two and tell no-one. He knows what you did. You know it.
God knows it. It’s enough. Donate to that family in church you heard
about that has suffered a devastation, and do it quietly so no-one even knows
you did it. Get yourself, out of your
thinking, focus on the needs you can meet.
There should be no guilt in charity.
Do not give because you feel like your ‘evil’ if you don’t. Give because you want to give. Give because you make a conscience choice to
be a person who gives without wanting notice. No “thank-you’s” expected. Forget your charity as quickly as you perform
it, and look for another way to give.
This is the recipe for living a life that makes a
difference. And the beauty of this
recipe is that it does not require great wealth. You do not have to have an IQ of 180 to
participate. Tiny young children are
eligible to take part, old folks in a managed-care facility can still do
this. You’re not limited by your
location or your circumstances only by your character. Fellow prisoners need your kindness. Fellow nursing home neighbors need your
kindness. Fellow Ghetto gang-bangers are
not immune to kindness. Nor are the extremely
rich and powerful. Anyone can avoid
feelings of being useless, or hopeless, by simply living a life dedicated to
kindness to others. Disinterested
benevolence is a reflection of the image of God while He walked this earth.
So is my 1000 year old Italian man a renaissance
artist? Is he really famous and I may be
just hiding his identity? Does he even
exist? Does it matter? You are who I am talking about. It’s your life that will be measured in your
eyes. It’s your life that will be
remembered by those who love you. The
impact of your life will not be determined by how much money you acquired, how
large a company you built, not even by how many people you knew, or how many
friends you have. The impact of your
life will be measured in the love you show.
To make a difference, be different. Be someone who chooses to love widely. Don’t restrict your love to your significant
other, or to your family, and closest confidants – spread your love and your
kindness widely, and quietly. Be a ninja
donor to those in need. Become someone who
makes a difference, rather than being the same person who merely is looking for
a series of actions to be remembered by.
This is the core of the issue – become different, and you will make a
difference. Following the crowds in
apathy, or hostility, is the common course – to love is the uncommon. And when love is at the core of “who” you
are, your life will turn this world completely upside down once again.
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