Tuesday, March 19, 2013

HWJW?


I've done a lot of thinking lately about how others walk.  A Mennonite-Quaker who notices things (HWMQW).  My beloved boss with her trash bag (HWBBW).  A monk who preaches to birds (HWFW).  I feel bad that I haven't once thought, How Would Jesus Walk?  If He was on foot, on his way to the office, what might He do?  I can safely assume what He'd do if (along the way) He met a blind man, lame man, woman at a well, group of lepers, etc.  But what about nowadays?  In my neighborhood?  What if it there weren't "Good Samaritan" opportunities around every corner?  I think I know, too, what He'd do if He wasn't by Himself.  If there was a person or two...or a crowd walking with Him...it'd be one long 'teachable moment'...a Sermon on the Move.

I wonder if He'd meander a bit, like He did on His (final) walk to Jerusalem?  Would He leave early every day, allowing a 5-10 minute buffer in case He ran into someone who needed to talk?  That way, He could help the hurting and not be late for work.  To be honest, I'm a little afraid to give this question too much deep thought.  It might lead to a risky, sacrificial commute waaay out of my comfort zone. 
 
For now I'm content to conclude that (bare minimum) He would be contemplating the question:  How might I serve others today?  In other words, He'd use the walk to think ahead to the people & situations He might encounter at work.  He'd anticipate service opportunities before they came along.  And when they happened, He'd be ready.  So, based on that conjecture, I tried to do the same.  I tried to think hard, with every step, What people might I encounter today (coworkers, students), with what particular needs?  In the end, I decided to keep it simple.  I made the decision to make eye contact each person who passed my desk, my office, or my path.  Eye contact isn't revolutionary or radical, but it can lead to other things.  Opportunities to help, for one.  Scripture doesn't tell us, but I bet eye contact was something Jesus was exceptionally good at (when He wasn't writing on the ground).

P.S.  Cleaned up the town only a bit today.  Found a Skittles mini-pack wrapper as I approached Main St.

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