Helping People
It felt as if this had been an uneventful week culminating in not knowing what to write today but when I stopped and analysed it there has actually been quite a lot going on. Among church members there have been a couple of birthdays and sadly one funeral. Outside the church a friend has had his fiftieth birthday and another has lost her father after a long, hard fought battle against brain disease. The daily commute has been a trial because of the Hampton Court Flower Show traffic and various things have meant that I drove to the church four evenings out of five, which is more than usual. The start of the holiday season coinciding with illness has meant overtime every day, I am out of practice at long hours and got very tired. Then there were the things going on further afield, the G8 Summit, yet more soldiers dying in Afghanistan, yet more political scandal, this time involving telephone tapping, yet more unrest in oppressed nations. No it was not an uneventful week.
Yesterday we had the most important event of the week, the stall we ran in New Malden High Street as part of the New Malden Fortnight. The project was in aid of Tubakunde, the children’s centre and school in Rwanda co-founded by Pam Hajnasrollah, a member of this church. The whole thing went much as these things usually do, we made some contacts, gave out a lot of leaflets and sold enough stuff to return a reasonable profit for the effort, but there was one incident that stuck in my mind and made me think.
An elderly mid-European looking gentleman, who did not seem particularly well off himself, pointed at the banner over the stall and asked me what Tubakunde meant. I explained that it was in the Rwandan language and meant, “Let us love them” then went into my standard spiel about why we were there and what was to happen to the proceeds. He glanced around the goods on display and said he did not need baby clothes or any toys or books, he even declined a leaflet as he said his cataracts prevented him reading but he got out his purse and gave me a contribution anyway. He said he wanted to help the children whose photographs were displayed on the stall. It made me think of the Widow’s Mites (Mark 12:41-44) and also the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). In these two stories Jesus illustrates the need to help all His people, not just those known to us and to give everything we have, not just what we think we can get away with without looking too mean.
I may have misjudged the gentleman at the stall, he may have been a wealthy eccentric but the lesson still holds good. I admit I was not keen on going to do my stint. From an early age I was a victim of good deeds, fundraising and jumble sales on the Vicarage lawn – my grandfather being the vicar. All the previously listed problems this week meant, I still had washing, ironing and shopping to do, I had a cake to make, my hair to wash and of course this leaflet to write, but my conscience pricked and as I felt better after a good night’s sleep I forced myself to go. Looking at those pictures of vulnerable children, the Lord reminded me that I am one of the privileged ones and it is my duty to help others. In doing so He had His little joke, He provided the subject for the leaflet where least expected.
