Love and honour for everyone
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honour.” (Romans 12:9-10)
Have you ever had a moment when a simple passage of Scripture catches you up short, convicts and compels you to action? This passage has significantly done so for me. I am transported in my thoughts to a moment when I was taught a profound lesson in love and honour by a homeless man.
It was one of those dark, dreary, drizzling early December Vancouver nights. My wife, Becky, and I were returning home from an evening meeting in the city. Feeling weary, I opted to stop at my favourite coffee shop for tea with the hopes it would help me remain alert on our hour-long drive home.
It was then that I saw him, hovering near the exit door, gallantly attempting to stay dry and warm. Regrettably, my first reaction was to ignore his query, “Sir, can you spare some change?” Yet the man’s condition and the terrible weather surfaced my compassion. “I’ll catch you on the way out,” I responded.
Moments later, hot tea in hand, I paused by the homeless man and offered him a toonie, a coffee, a moment of my time and a few minutes of focused attention. “Merry Christmas and stay warm,” I said as I prepared to retreat to the warmth of my car. What happened next has marked me ever since in my life choices.
The man’s words pierced my hardened heart: “Excuse me sir, thank you for noticing me and caring. You’re a kind man. Here, I want to give you a gift; enjoy your family this Christmas.” I thanked him as he handed me a Tim Hortons gift card. When I returned to the car, Becky commented on my longer than usual conversation with this homeless man. I expressed my compassionate concern for his welfare and prayed that he would not suffer from hypothermia that night. Showing my wife the gift card, I stated, “It’s probably expired, but I suppose it’s the thought that counts.” I returned the card to my pocket, and promptly forgot about it and the encounter.
The next day, I met a staff member at a local coffee shop. Preparing to pay, I sensed the Holy Spirit’s nudge, “Use the gift card that you were given last night.” Fumbling in my pocket, I handed the card to the cashier, apologetically saying, “I expect this card is empty, but would you check it for me please?” She replied, “Sir, it has $20 on it; would you like to use it now?”
In one fell swoop, the Spirit’s conviction pierced my heart and revealed my small-minded prejudgments. A homeless man in obvious need had been more compassionate and generous than me. He had shown me honour simply because I had invested a brief few minutes of my time. Repenting, I asked God to help me lovingly see everyone, from the broken homeless man to the honoured board member, from God’s kind perspective. Each person created in God’s image is worthy of honour and love.
This month let’s ask our Heavenly Father to help us genuinely love others, to be zealous and fervent in our spiritual service. Perhaps you would join me right now to pray for soft hearts and an increasing Christlike attitude toward everyone he brings into our lives, even if it is just a brief momentary encounter.
My one brief encounter with a homeless man outside a coffee shop on a dreary night has taught me a valuable lifelong lesson. Can I invite you into this sacred experience? Together let’s love one another with brotherly affection and endeavour to outdo each other by respectfully showing honour.
Dr. Steve and Becky Witmer have served together for more than 35 years in a variety of ministry roles. After five years with YWAM, they served in roles such as senior pastor, missionary director, and pastoral care coordinator for their associated network of churches. Sensing that they were entering a new season of life after 14 years as senior pastors in their church, Steve and Becky transitioned to the role of associate pastors for the same congregation. This new role enables them to invest time and energy into both missions and the care of pastors and emerging leaders. They serve as contract retreat leaders with Kerith Retreats, a ministry of Focus on the Family Canada.