Faith Venture

Martin Buber said, “To help one another is not considered a task, but the self-evident reality on which companionship is based. To help is not a virtue, but a pulse of existence.… Help, not out of pity – that is, from a sharp, quick pain which one wishes to expel – but out of love, which means to live with others. He who only pities receives from the mere outward manifestation of the sorrow of others a sharp, quick pain, totally unlike the real sorrow of the sufferer.”

Martin Buber is one of my favorite Jewish contemplatives. He must not be popular anymore, but his I and Thou is a classic. His thinking has been a deep influence.

This thought takes me to the story Jesus told explaining who our neighbor is that we should be loving. It’s the story of the Samaritan business man on a trip stopping to help a man beaten by robbers and left by the road. And the business man stopped, bandaged the man, and then took him to a place where he could be cared for. And he paid for it all.

Buber assumes we have made the first choice—to help. But then there is a second choice. Do we just toss a coin in the cup? Or, do we stop and help out of love rather than pity?

We have only two commands—to love God and to love our neighbor. Neither is a quick remedy for a sharp pain. Rather, they are a long term response to the deep longing for love and union with God.

Sound business advice: Serve others.

Sound personal advice: Serve others.

Sound spiritual advice: Serve others.

The last one came directly from The Teacher (as many called him) who washed his disciples’ feet before dinner as a courtesy. He told (not suggested) us to do likewise.

We don’t wash feet in our culture. We can listen. We can buy someone a cup of coffee with a smile–thanks for the idea Jon Swanson. We can help lift a burden. We can do a random act of kindness.

Yes, serving is a spiritual act. Just like praying, or meditation, or worship, or belief.

It’s a national holiday here in America. A bit of a complicated one.

My great-grandmother always called it Decoration Day–a day to remember family members who had passed away. You went to the cemetery and “decorated” the grave with flowers. That part is still here.

Then the government made it “Memorial” Day–a day to remember those who served in the military and especially those who died in combat.

The church (or some churches) piggy-back on those to add a religious observation.

Actually, I think for most people it is the official beginning of “summer”–a weekend off to relax, grill meat on the barbecue, get the old boat out.

Jesus said he came not to be served but to serve others and give his life for many. There is theology buried there, but also a lifestyle.

If we are disciples, we also are to serve others and give our lives for many.

A day to pause and reflect on our service–and how we might be of more service to others.

Being observant may not always be a good thing. Especially when you are in Las Vegas.

I’m here for a tech conference. Pure geek, I’m not a gambler and the machines and tables have no appeal to me. I’m also probably not headed out to one of the many shows featuring naked women. Purely boring, I go to the conference sessions, write, eat, and sleep.

But…

It has been now 40 years since my first conference experience in Las Vegas. The morning of the second day as I was chatting with the corporate HR director, he said, “Wow, did you see all the prostitutes out last night?” I thought, “What prostitutes?” Oh, so naive was this country boy.

Yesterday, I’m heading down to the convention center. Elevator door opens. There is an older, scruffy looking guy with a cowboy hat. There are also two Asian women with him. I quickly surmised that they were not old friends…shall we say.

We stop at another floor and a woman enters. She glances around and smiles at me. Knowingly.

I’m hoping that she isn’t thinking that I’m part of that group.

I observe things and try to draw out some sort of discipline. But sometimes it’s just human nature I observe. And I have a flash of understanding of rural Midwesterners like me who don’t live with such a diverse population of people.

It’s fascinating. But again, there are so many people who are lost and trying to find a way in life. And so few people to love and help them.

That is the refreshing thing about the company whose conference I’m attending–Dell Technologies. When the chairman/CEO whose name is in the company name devotes time during his keynote to turn the spotlight on the company’s devotion to diversity, and to the many human needs solved by people using Dell technology, you can find reason for optimism.