Okay. New Year’s Day. I had the responsibility of leading the worship service (at 10:00am). I have never understood that thinking of staying up until after midnight to welcome in the new year and then getting up to run to church to welcome it in again. Oh well, that’s not the purpose of my blog today...
After our church service, as several of us (church members) were leaving the church building, we were greeted by the unpleasant sight of pieces of Slovak kolac (pronounced ko-lawch) - which is basically a kind of layered cake - scattered all along the road in front of the church and the storefronts up to the Town Square.
Immediately, another man and I began to pick up some of the pieces in front of the church building. Completing that process, I continued to work my way down the sidewalk in front of a couple/few other businesses picking up pieces and tossing them into the nearby dumpster.
To my shock (surprise is not a strong enough word), 3 individuals from our church, each in their own way and timing, told me not to pick up the cakes there because it was their responsibility. It was “stranger’s property.” It wasn’t our responsibility. “Leave it. Let them take care of their own.”
Now, I wouldn’t have been so surprised if the people who had said these things weren’t church or community leaders - but they are!
Now, to be fair, I could give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they were looking out for me as their Elder Board Chairman and not wanting to see me pick up the cakes like a “common street-worker.” Or that they just didn’t want me to get my hands all dirty & sticky and all - being that I was in my nicest church clothes.
However, the emphasis wasn’t on ME, so much as it was on “them.” One woman was actually somewhat angry and indignantly told me not to pick up the cakes because it was “their” responsibility.
I responded to this woman that I wasn’t picking up the cakes so much for the other business owner’s sake, but more for the people who would later walk down that sidewalk and would not have to dance around the cakes.
I’m trying to understand this - culturally. Why do people who have been blessed by the Lord so abundantly still think so selfishly? Why can’t we consider what we’d like to have done to us and then do that to our neighbors?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and insights on this. I’ve lived here for 11.5 years and I’m still learning the culture.
What a ride! God is great!
More later....
After our church service, as several of us (church members) were leaving the church building, we were greeted by the unpleasant sight of pieces of Slovak kolac (pronounced ko-lawch) - which is basically a kind of layered cake - scattered all along the road in front of the church and the storefronts up to the Town Square.
Immediately, another man and I began to pick up some of the pieces in front of the church building. Completing that process, I continued to work my way down the sidewalk in front of a couple/few other businesses picking up pieces and tossing them into the nearby dumpster.
To my shock (surprise is not a strong enough word), 3 individuals from our church, each in their own way and timing, told me not to pick up the cakes there because it was their responsibility. It was “stranger’s property.” It wasn’t our responsibility. “Leave it. Let them take care of their own.”
Now, I wouldn’t have been so surprised if the people who had said these things weren’t church or community leaders - but they are!
Now, to be fair, I could give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they were looking out for me as their Elder Board Chairman and not wanting to see me pick up the cakes like a “common street-worker.” Or that they just didn’t want me to get my hands all dirty & sticky and all - being that I was in my nicest church clothes.
However, the emphasis wasn’t on ME, so much as it was on “them.” One woman was actually somewhat angry and indignantly told me not to pick up the cakes because it was “their” responsibility.
I responded to this woman that I wasn’t picking up the cakes so much for the other business owner’s sake, but more for the people who would later walk down that sidewalk and would not have to dance around the cakes.
I’m trying to understand this - culturally. Why do people who have been blessed by the Lord so abundantly still think so selfishly? Why can’t we consider what we’d like to have done to us and then do that to our neighbors?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and insights on this. I’ve lived here for 11.5 years and I’m still learning the culture.
What a ride! God is great!
More later....
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