I saw Dancing Dan holding a sign and dancing this morning at 8:30am. Yes, Christmas Eve. He was working. And guess what he was advertising? Himself. His sign said "Dancing Dan" and his phone number. Guess Dan is looking for work. On Christmas Eve.
Dan may be the hardest working guy in Sacramento. He's the best sign dancer on the planet and does his job with enthusiasm, joy, commitment, and integrity. If I ever had anything to sell, Dan would get my first advertising dollars.
Duran Central had an enlightening post this week about the recession in California and our need to be compassionate with those who are struggling to find work (the blog author and I had a bit of a back and forth in the comments). In order to get my compassion I want to see you working at least as hard as Dan.
Dancing Dan rocks. Especially if no drugs are involved in his enthusiasm. ;)
ReplyDeleteDavid's post was expressing a concern that he and I have been wrestling with, and which you have honestly expressed one side of in your post.
I love you and I know you to be a gracious, compassionate person. And our concern isn't directed specifically at you.
But our concern is for the church on a whole (not just a specific local body) -- for some reason, we have decided that people should earn our compassion, and we sometimes set up amazing standards (like, uh, Dancing Dan) by which compassion must be earned.
Just for fun, go to biblegateway.com, pick the NASB, and write in the word "compassion" and hit the search. Wade through the countless expressions of compassion that God shows a very imperfect people. Around the fourth page (#89) you hit the New Testament and the compassion Jesus shows to, uh, everyone.
I'm so, so grateful that God showed me compassion even when I could not measure up to my own standards, let alone His. I'm so thankful that He continues to show me compassion as I fall so, so short of His glory.
"We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone." 1 Thessalonians 5:14
alright, I wasn't really being serious about needing to work as hard as Dancing Dan, but I am personally humbled and convicted by his work ethic.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Sharon.
ReplyDelete"He who does not work, neither shall he eat." II Thes. 3:10
A parallel for the free market modern world might be: "He who does not produce surplus value to grant another a profit, neither shall he receive the necessities of life."
ReplyDeleteCompassion is for God, not man. When we show compassion for another based only on their humanity, we only assume the pose of moral arrogance which is humanism.