How to Change the World
But it cheered a lonely traveler upon the dusty road;
For the way was long and dreary, and the resting places few,
And the sun had dried the streamlets, and drunk up the sparkling dew.
None noticed the cup of water as a beautiful act of love,
Save the angels keeping the record, away in the land above;
But the record shall never perish, the trifling deed shall live,
For heaven demands but little from those who have least to give!
It was only a kind word spoken to a weeping little child,
But the thread of its grief was broken, and the little one sweetly smiled;
And nobody stayed to notice so tiny an act of love,
Save the angels keeping the record in the wonderful book above.
And she who had spoken kindly went on in her quiet way,
Nor dreamed such a simple action should count in the last great day.
But the pitying words of comfort were, heard with a song of joy,
And the listening angels blessed her from their beautiful home on high.
It isn't the world-praised wonders that are best in our Father's sight,
Nor the wreaths of fading laurels that garnish fame's dizzy height,
But the pitying love and kindness, the work of the warm caress,
The beautiful hope and patience and self-forgetfulness;
The trifle in secret given, the prayer in the quiet night,
And the little unnoticed nothings are good in our Father's sight." -Anonymous poem, c. 1880
I ran into this quote the other day and couldn't believe I'd never read it. I adore it. It's a beautiful retelling of Matthew 25 and the call to serve "the least of these" for no ulterior motive other than love itself. The poem's greatest beauty is its anonymity – how it says powerful words without a name attached to them. No byline. No credit. Only the joy of blessing readers who will never know who wrote it.
I don't want to be a nameless poet. I'd much rather see a statue erected in my name and dramatic biopics screened in my memory. Anonymity, on the other hand, has always meant insignificance to me.. St. Francis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and MLK are my three biggest heroes, and their names all made it into the history books. We know who they were and what they did. Francis was a joyful friend to the poor, Dietrich was a stubborn keeper of his brother, Martin was an agent of truth and peace. Now those were lives well lived. Those were lives that changed the world. At least I feel that way most of the time.
But notoriety is not significance, despite what our culture, churches, schools, media, etc. tell us. If a tree falls in the forest and no one sees it, of course it still fell. If that tree were a blind and deaf man you picked up knowing he'd never know your name, of course you still picked him up. Love people for love's sake. Give not to receive a thank-you but for the joy of seeing needs met. Surrender power to others knowing that you are freeing yourself from power's chains. Francis, who hated the fame and power popes and followers lavished on him, would agree:
"Blessed is the servant who does not regard himself as better when he is esteemed and extolled by men than when he is reputed as mean, simple, and despicable: for what a man is in the sight of God, so much he is, and no more. Woe to that religious who is elevated in dignity by others, and who of his own will is not ready to descend. And blessed is that servant who is raised in dignity not by his own will and who always desires to be beneath the feet of others." (Admonitions)
The people who served me most in life asked for nothing in return. Popular kids in school downgraded their social status to associate with me. Youth volunteers gave hours of care to unruly junior highers, knowing full well that those kids might never comprehend the sacrifice. Parents understood that walking alongside me in humility, rather making me conform to their own image, was the best way to love. Pastors never stopped mentoring me even after they gave up their titles and went back to work in the real world.
I want to be like those people. I absolutely idolized my first small group leader and figured that my life would be a success if I grew up to be at least half the man he was. I got into youth ministry later on life hoping to embody the care he and others gave to me.
And sorry to Jesus-juke you, but I learned later in life that he and all of those other people were simply trying to be half the person Jesus is. I now know Jesus is the person I want to embody. It shouldn't be about rewards or even gratitude, but the pure beauty that I see and want to emulate.
"What Would Jesus Do?" is as Sunday School as it gets, but it's amazing how I got away from that question growing up. Jesus was one of the most closeted do-gooders out there (Matthew 6:6) who encouraged his followers to not only serve quietly but keep their left hand from knowing about there right. I get the feeling (mildly heretical, I know) that he'd be peeved at his disciples for writing so many books about him. And maybe John understood and accepted that:
"Now there are many things Jesus also did, which, if every one of them were written, I bet not even the universe itself could fit all the books written." (John 21:25)
The unnamed poet challenges me rethink my ambitions. He and Jesus call me to rethink what it means to change the world. I must start at the neighbor level. We love the person sitting right next to us, whether they'll reciprocate it or not. You want to change the world? Good. There's 7.7 billion worlds on this planet, each contained in a human life. To visit a prisoner or house the homeless is a therefore a revolutionary event.Your efforts are not in vain, no matter how small or anonymous they feel. You're changing the world.
I love the song "An Act of Kindness" by Bastille.
"An act of kindness is what you show to me
It caught me by surprise in this town of glass and eyes
Kindness, so many people pass me by
But you warm me to my core and you left me wanting more
And now it follows me every day
And now it follows me every day"
Sacrificial love, like a mustard seed, works quietly but powerfully. Sacrificial love leaves an unforgettable mark on its recipients, whether we acknowledge it or not. And it's infectious. It leaves me wanting more.
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