It's true. Yesterday I had one of those classic, "Why the crap am I still doing ministry and does what I do even matter?" moments. Here's the Reader's Digest Condensed version of what happened:
I have local high school students to my house every Wednesday for free lunch. It's a great way for me to meet local teens outside of a church building. They love the food, and I love meeting kids who don't try to put on the religious show for me. Yesterday a student who was there for only the second time ever stole a book off one of my bookshelves. It was Douglas Coupland's Generation X, which I absolutely love, but also only paid $3 for. The loss of the book in itself was no big deal, considering 1/2 of the books I loan out to friends I know I will never get back. What bothered me was the betrayal. It hurt. And it made me angry. And sad.
Last night I sat up in bed thinking. And thinking some more. I thought about stopping my Wednesday lunches. I thought about finding this kid and confronting him in a less-than-kind manner...
Then I thought of that scene in Les Miserables when Jean Val Jean (sorry for spelling errors) is caught with the stolen candlesticks and the priest not only refuses to press charges on the guilty man, but gives him much, much more than he had originally stolen. So I decided that I will carry with me, whenever possible, another Coupland book titled Life After God, so if I ever see this young man again and can give him the rest of his book set. The book, if you haven't read it, ends with a statement that in truth, even the devout atheist narrator needs God.
So that's my plan, unless I hear of something better. So what would you do if you were in my shoes?
Peace,
Matt
5 comments:
WWJVJD?
You're right, it's not the property but the violation. Yet, what if he reads the book and really likes it and it changes his idea of things? What if his life if irrevokably(sp?) changed by this book? (or maybe even changed by the theft?) Opening yourself up in love to be hurt, spit on and degraded is a very Jesus thing to do (I don't have to tell you that, you worked with 7th graders). Tim
when life gives you lemons, make lemonade and throw it in the face of the person who gave them to you because you asked for oranges in the first place.
personally, i would never do anything that would discourage a kid from reading. there are worse things they could steal from you. (besides it wasn't your book - it belongs to jesus)
Matt, I know we haven't met, so it seems strange to offer thoughts on what you should do. It sucks that the student stole from you. Definitely a violation of a safe place you tried to open to others. I think closing down the lunch stuff would be reasonable, but in the end, I don't think it would fully communicate an incarnational stance.
There are worse literary characters to follow than Jean Val Jean. I think your decision to give the student Life After God is really creative and actually pretty Christlike. The whole extra mile, other cheek, giving your cloak idea. What sucks is that when we invite people into our space, there is no guarantee that they will behave safely. I really hate that and have to work extra hard to believe that in taking risks, that there is something good for everyone involved. Is there a way that you can continue the lunches and keep your house safe?
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