Mr. Rogers had a famous quote: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ There are always helpers.”
Question for me…and for you.
Which describes us:
Do we ignore things?
Are we an obstacle?
Are we helping?
You are under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago. Alan Watts
Matthew, the apostle and author of a Gospel, tells us about the beginning of Jesus’s ministry:
From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
That word “repent” carries emotional baggage to many of us. The word simply means change. We were living one way, then we change and live another. When Jesus said it, the strong implication was that we would change for the better. And better being defined as living according to his teachings (following this proclamation, Matthews tells us Jesus assembled some disciples and began teaching crowds of people; the subject matter of the teaching he records as the “Sermon on the Mount”).
Not only are we under no obligation to be the same person we were five minutes ago, we are encouraged to evaluate where we are and change direction for the better.
I have read a contemporary philosopher whose concern rises from a observation that all the gurus and influencers promoting continuous improvement programs lead to a culture of narcissism. Too much “all about me.”
Following Jesus’s way actually means change isn’t about ending with us. It’s what comes next. We must change our ways (and some of more often than once!) so that we can better serve others.
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I am an observer by nature and early experience. I could delve into reasons, but this is not the place or time.
Rather, I observe. I sometimes verbalize my observations. Those are not always (or, perhaps seldom) socially appropriate.
These thoughts invaded my mind as I contemplated this thought from my buddy, James.
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
I discussed the need for the pause between thought or emotion and speech while thinking on anger. That pause is useful in other contexts. We attend church services or mass or prayer meetings or Bible studies religiously (meaning regularly), yet, we have a weakness not yet overcome. We talk to much—about subjects and people we would best remain quiet about.
James continues about being religious in the next sentence of the same paragraph.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Would we like to consider ourselves religious in the sight of God? Attending gatherings provides a foundation and even energy. The proof is how we show this to the world around us. What do we do with our money and our time? Do we TikTok or serve meals to homeless people? Do we have discussions around coffee with people who think like us, or do we contribute to orphanages or child rescue missions? (I link to two of mine.)
I’ve been reviewing some church websites. Some are disappointing. They talk about the Bible. Nothing wrong about that—except they stop there. James (teaching from the teaching of his brother, Jesus) tells us there is much more to life in the spirit.
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Quick, tell me—what was the message of the Pastor’s last sermon?
Did you remember it for the rest of the day? How about the day following?
She or he worked several hours crafting a message explaining part of the Biblical message or something important in the life of the church. And you blew it!
I remember a phrase that is an apt description of the phenomenon—in one ear and out the other.
James warns us about the spiritual situation of those who sit and listen to teaching only to leave the gathering and do as they please. I love his analogy of the mirror:
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Researchers tell us that we can act our way into believing or changing our mood. The best way to kindness and generosity is to practice kindness and generosity no matter how we feel at the time.
Don’t be a listener—be a doer.
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The early gatherings of Jesus followers grew in numbers and influence because people around them saw the way they lived and wished to live like that. They saw people kind and generous. When plagues rolled through the cities, they saw Jesus followers out ministering to the sick and grieving.
I picked up this thought from an Arnold Schwarzenegger newsletter, “When your actions consistently align with your principles, you don’t need to convince anyone of who you are. You become the evidence. That’s why the most powerful teachers rarely lecture; they live in a way that makes people want to follow. Integrity isn’t built in speeches — it’s built in habits, sacrifices, and how you treat others.”
I write this and convict myself. At what points to I embody my principles of peace and justice and being kind and generous? And at what points do I fall short? How can I do better?
Perhaps you need to ask these of yourself.
Do something good.
Repeat.
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The Law of Unanticipated Results states that taking an action often yields results in an entirely different area.
Trying to be happy results in less happiness. Pursuing an activity that consumes your focus and creativity results in happiness.
The purpose of a beehive is not to make honey. Honey is a sweet unanticipated benefit of a healthy hive.
Intentionally pursuing a church growth strategy may build numbers (usually not). But it won’t make “honey.” A community excited about growing and serving attracts others who wish to grow and serve in an exciting community.
A study found in The Pump Club newsletter, Researchers examined 105 studies, including more than 70,000 people. Their goal was to test whether the psychological and physical wellness costs of chasing external rewards were universal, and the results were surprisingly consistent. Individuals who strongly pursued extrinsic aspirations (such as financial success or popularity) reported lower subjective well-being, less vitality, and more symptoms of anxiety and depression. The effects weren’t minor, either. Across the board, extrinsic goal orientation resulted in reduced well-being. In fact, the effect size was similar regardless of nationality, age, or gender, suggesting this isn’t a culture-specific issue — it’s a human one. On the flip side, people who prioritized intrinsic goals — like personal growth, relationships, and community — consistently showed higher life satisfaction, fewer depressive symptoms, and better overall health behaviors.
It’s like Jesus told us over and over—trying to be successful trying to chase after stuff or trying to simply follow the religious law was a journey to death. The journey to life led through getting right with God and serving others by becoming aware of their needs. Be others-focused. Chasing stuff is like a dog chasing its tail.
Someone recently told me the problem with Judaism, Islam, and Christianity is that they are religions of words. Learning words, hearing words, reading words, repeating words.
Too often the journey begins and ends with words.
Words divide us while uniting some of us.
Somewhere along the journey we lose the spirit of the words. The spirit behind and encompassing the words.
I think my friend’s observation was only partially correct. That is, they only saw part of the situation.
We read in the letter of James, the apostle, church leader, and brother of Jesus (1:27), “True Religion—Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”
Anyone can memorize and regurgitate words.
It takes a true disciple of Jesus to get off one’s backside and go out to serve.
Shall we find true religion?
Sort of following yesterday’s thoughts on hate and divisiveness breaking my heart, is this meditation from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Humanly speaking, we could understand and interpret the Sermon on the Mount in a thousand different ways. Jesus knows only one possibility: simple surrender and obedience, not interpreting it or applying it, but doing and obeying it…. He does not mean that it is to be discussed as an ideal, he really means us to get on with it.
We waste so much energy arguing and defending some minute interpretation of theology. What would be Jesus’s reaction to all that? Would it be what Bonhoeffer suggested—that we take these teachings from Jesus and actually do something about them?
Perhaps we surrender our ego and greed and fear and pride—and serve our neighbor (see Luke’s telling of the Good Samaritan)?
Every evening before retiring reflect on where we showed kindness and where we were servants.
Gary Mintchell
Faith Venture 