people that do

I am not easily impressed. However, I have a deep admiration for people whose walk with God consists of action not just talk, and especially those people whose "doing" is not promoted for the world to see. I am impressed with people who quietly and without fanfare do the work of God in the messy gutter of life.

Conversely, I am not impressed by those who continually have to broadcast the news of their ministry. Jesus spoke about people whose actions were driven by a need to be noticed - they have their reward now. Recently, while on Interstate 81 I saw a large billboard proclaiming - Steamtown Church, a church in the city that loves the city. Now perhaps that billboard was placed there by the leading of the Holy Spirit. If so, then the church needed heed the Spirit's invitation.

However, I could not help but be a bit cynical when I saw it. I mean if we love the city, then we just love the city. There is no need to make any kind of proclamation about loving the city. If we love the city, we do not need to say so since the inhabitants of the city will know they are loved. So then what is the purpose of the proclamation? Or is the proclamation an attempt to convince ourselves that we love as we should?

Love requires us to engage with those being loved, not through a program or an event, but through inviting them into our very lives. I am impressed with the young single man who opens the doors of his home to other young men struggling to find their way. I am impressed with the truck driver who visits those in the nursing homes, bringing his infectious laughter into the grayness of their existence. I am impressed by the businessman who will loan money to employees in need, knowing full well that he probably will never see the money again. These are real people in real situations, people who will never be featured on the front page of the religious section of the newspaper. Furthermore, they have no desire to be noticed and applauded. They simply see "the least of these" with a need and meet the need. They are my heroes!