I’m not sure why, but especially as of lately, I have received many free gifts. Don’t worry, I’m not going to brag about winning any contests or manna falling from the sky. In the grand scheme of things, these gifts have been fairly small but when you live in Rwanda the smallest of gestures can make a huge impact.
After work one day, I was standing at a bus stop waiting for bus to arrive when a man pulled up in his car and offered a free ride into town to me and the lady standing next to me. During our drive, I was contemplating how much money I should offer him for the ride. Along the way, my thoughts were interrupted when the man driving slammed on the brakes and started to yell something out the window. I looked to my left to see the remains of a motorcycle accident and a group of men carrying bruised and bloody women toward the car. I applied pressure to one of the deep cuts on her head as she had several more over her body. We arrived at town and the driver of the car turned to me and said thanks, I’m going to run her to the hospital now. I hopped out and he sped away. I looked down at my hands, one had a trace of blood while the other held the 1000 francs I was intending to give the driver for his kind service.
That night a kind Lebanese man invited me and two friends over for dinner. He made a massive spread of authentic Lebanese food and everyone ate until tahinni was coming out of our ears. We went out for drinks after and as I graciously tried to repay a fraction of the wonderful meal in drinks but he refused. As I tried once more he said to me, “why can’t you Americans accept a free gift? I don’t want to be repaid, I had you over for friendship, don’t insult my kindness”
This stopped me in my tracks. Why can’t I accept a free gift? Why must I out give the giver? How can I proclaim the free gift of Christ when I can’t accept a free ride or meal?
I don’t think I am the only one with this problem. Rightly so, many of us strive for equality and fairness. That’s why I am here in Rwanda, to try to bring about equality and fairness.
In essence, fairness and equality are good things. It has brought about a lot of good but I don’t think that it’s the way of God. God is not fair, he is more than fair and I think in the American obsession for equality we are missing part of God’s character. God’s love is so great that those who don’t “deserve” it or put their hands to the plow receive God’s love too. This has been echoed throughout the Bible from the parable of the lost son to the parable of the laborers in the vineyard God. loves and favors those who don’t deserve it. I think this culminates with Paul’s question in Romans 2 “Why do you treat the kindness of God with contempt? Do you not know that the kindness of God leads to repentance?”
I think we should start asking some questions us believing in the true character of God. I think those 2 lines really sum it up. I really struggle receiving a free gift regardless of how small it is but character of God gives a million times the nicest gifts a person can give. Can we really handle a loving God that can and has blessed so many in our own judgments don’t deserve it. That our God can be that loving to give such great gifts to us or those around us because of his great love?
We have a beautifully loving God, can you believe it?
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