A Simple Cup of Cold Water

Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? James 2:15-16 (NIV)

Barbara was struggling to get up the stairs of her son’s Washington D.C. apartment building carrying a couple of bags of groceries. There was no elevator and she was dealing with orthopedic issues; how would she make it? A total stranger would make a difference in her life that day. Unnamed and unknown, a DC Metro bus driver, got off her bus, came over to where Barbara was carrying her bags, grabbed them, and carried them to the top of the stairs. (1440 Daily Digest)

John Sotelo was just doing his job stacking cases of water in a Clovis, CA Costco when he saw an envelope lying on the cases. To his surprise, it contained $3,940, a nice day’s work except he knew it wasn’t his money. He immediately informed his supervisor and they were able to find the person who dropped it, returning the cash to the woman. (USA Today).

IHOP server Tulio Maldonado got a much-needed lift and surprise when the $1,000 Breakfast Club of Saugus, Massachusetts happened to be at one of the tables. The group of 10 friends gathers every couple of months and surprises their server with a huge tip, at least $1,000. Club member Jeffrey Paris said, “You don’t need to be a millionaire or famous celebrity to make someone’s day. I’m pretty sure this guy will never forget this.”  (WCVB News)

An act of kindness, does it make a difference? Princess Diana said, “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward.” Jesus said it better, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Matthew 10:42)

There are countless studies and articles on how and why our current culture has become so angry and suspicious of others. A new level of mean-spirited hatefulness has risen in the country. I’m sure you can find any number of reasons for the cultural crisis depending on your point of view. However, we can learn a few lessons from the early church on living in a hostile society.

The modern church is often characterized by having the best-educated leaders in church history, magnificent edifices to meet in on Sundays, and tremendous financial resources. However, statistics reflect massive declines among all denominations – a trend that is especially true in the United States and Europe. In comparison, the early church was characterized as being poor, powerless, and politically marginalized, yet it changed the course of the world. Sociologists estimate that Christianity grew at an incredible 40% per decade from this rag-tag band of 1000 or so followers to more than 34 million Christians by the third century.

Luke writes of the early Believers in Acts “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:44-47)

Compassion characterized the early church members as they lived in their hostile and doubting world. Jesus wasn’t just a slogan for the early church, He was the reason for existence. The Good News of Jesus really did become Good News.

“Christianity served as a revitalization movement that arose in response to the misery, chaos, fear and brutality of life in the urban Greco-Roman world…To cities filled with the homeless and impoverished, Christianity offered charity as well as hope. To cities filled with newcomers and strangers, Christianity offered an immediate basis for attachments. To cities filled with orphans and widows, Christianity provided a new and expanded sense of family. To cities torn by violent ethnic strife, Christianity offered a new basis for social solidarity. And to cities faced with epidemics, fires, and earthquakes, Christianity offered effective nursing services.” (Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity)

I am not sure that just one act of kindness will turn the tide of cultural hostility but millions of acts of kindness could create a tidal wave of change. “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” (Mother Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu)

It was these acts of kindness moments that took a poor, powerless, and politically marginalized group of men and women to change the world. Their love and compassion created an openness to talk about Jesus and the hope He brought. Roman emperor, Julian the Apostate was so impressed by the selfless acts of Christians that he wanted his pagan priesthood to imitate Christian institutions and practices. Early church historian, Eusebius recorded that “All day long some of them (the Christians) tended to the dying and to their burial, countless numbers with no one to care for them. Others gathered together from all parts of the city a multitude of those withered from famine and distributed bread to them all.” (Matt Crawford, Biblemesh)

This small band of resurrection-focused and Spirit-filled Believers took the words of Jesus to heart as they impacted their communities. These early Christians didn’t just make a difference in their homes, communities, and countries, they made the world a different place.

I think we can agree that changing the landscape of our current society will not be an easy task. However, we do have some good examples from this group of poor, powerless, and politically marginalized men and women in the early church who literally shook up their culture. Could it be that simple acts of kindness might be one small step that is needed to open the door to change? It’s worth a try!

God is great!