The Highway.com

Three years ago I began searching Christianity for the love that I had come to believe had been lost, forgotten in favor of an apocalyptic message complete with a cosmic "get out of jail free" card. I listened to the endless droning of Christians who insisted I was lost, confused, needed to "accept Jesus into my heart as my personal Lord and Savior." I watched them slowly take the title away from my wife, who now would rather be called any other name than that. I saw "righteous" Christian people cast enough stones at their brethren and neighbors to build a cathedral. I saw envy, wrath, gluttony, lust, avarice, vanity, and sloth . . . all from a people who claimed to be the shining example of what Jesus expected us to be:

Tis the Season

(December 15, 2003)

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." (John 13:34)

What happened to love?

What happened to simply thinking about the other guy before us?

Then I think about Christmas.

The holidays . . . the "holy days" . . . a time when most people just seem to find the time to be a little nicer, a little more generous. The season carries many names and many different celebrations, but all share a common aim . . . for us to come together in peace and cooperation. From the Salvation Army buckets on the street corners to the congestions at the malls: somebody else is at the top of our lists. From the doors that are held open for the next guy to the smiles we see from passers by: we take notice of the people around us. Even those less noticed the rest of the year reap the benefits of warmed, generous hearts as requests for even the most basic of needs are displayed and met. Lights line our trees, homes and businesses as we take the time to reflect on our past and future. Like the Grinch whose heart swelled as he finally understood the true meaning of these very special days, we want to put forth the extra effort to make things right. Like Ebenezer Scrooge, who had the chance to change, we try to be what we could be, should be, and we silently hope this year the spirit of Christmas will last until the next.

And for some it does!

The spirit never dies for some, their kindness and generosity long outlasting the reindeer and sleigh. These are the ones who stop when others pass by. These are the ones who reach out when nobody seems to care. They never ask for accolades. They never demand repayment. They enter into our lives and quickly depart, leaving some to consider them angels in disguise.

But they are not, at least to themselves.

They are the people who always help. They are the people who care about others before themselves. They are the people who "love as he has loved us." They know who they are, but shy away whenever noticed, preferring their "gifts" to remain anonymous. When we try to tell them how special they are, they shrug, smile, and offer an excuse to downplay their impact on our lives.

The woman, whose selflessness inspired me to write this, asked me not to tell her story, to share the details of her many random acts of kindness:

"It would make them feel bad." She pleaded, again thinking of others before herself.

As much as I wanted to tell everyone about the seemingly endless list of her love, I was silenced by that love . . . a love that did not want another to be paraded among strangers, an object of humiliation and condescension. Though many who claim to be "the elect of Christ" would tell her she is lost, confused and ultimately damned for daring to live the message she received, she does not care:

"Keep the name (Christian)," she tells them, ashamed of what it has come to represent at the dawn of the 21st century, "but you will not touch my faith."

Forgive me, but I had to say something. You deserve to be noticed, a rare gift to all you touch.

To you I say thanks. You are truly an inspiration. To the others like you, who silently carry the Christmas spirit, the unconditional love taught by the Christ, I applaud you for your efforts. Whether you do it in His name or not, you make a difference. You give us hope that love is not dead.

In my humble opinion love is not lost; it still lives whenever another is placed before us. It does not matter the name in which we love . . . that we love is more than enough. As we approach the holidays, maybe we all should take a closer look at those around us who are the silent angels all year long. Somehow they managed to keep what we feel now alive the rest of the year, and they show us that we can do the same. They are an example of what we could be, if we only opened our ears, eyes and hearts . . . and tried.