Pictures say a 1,000 words………..about ourselves and the Church

“Can I take your picture?”  “Sure,” I said………….without even thinking.

So, I was sharing a meal with with some friends a couple of weeks ago when I met a guy named Wesley.  As Wesley and I talked I began to learn that he was from clearwater beach.  Instantly we had something in common.  We began to chat and chat until a guy came up and asked us to take a picture………

You know those times………..those times when you just say yes without even thinking about it?  This was one of those….

So as Wesley and I are talking it immediately becomes very awkward as we kind of stop talking and give awkward smiles at the camera.  By the way, this was at a ministry in which the poor, rich, educated and non-educated eat together.  This guy was taking a picture to recall the moment when “we helped people in need.” 

Now, I know this is a tough issue, but I wish I could take back that yes.  My only thought was, “I wonder what Wesley is thinking right now.”  This guy is taking a picture of me talking to Wesley and he is probably going to take it back to his church so everyone will see me (the rich, educated, white man) talking to Wesley (the homeless, poor, un-educated man) and say, “Oh that is so great!” 

First off, Wesley taught me more than I taught him that day.  He was doing the good deed, not me. 

Second, we are never supposed to show off our good deeds. Jesus speaks quite provocatively about this and that day I realized why it is so bad (I know I run the risk of this very thing on this blog because I write about things I am involved with.  I even had a friend recently who told me I must think I’m better than everyone else.  This is the reason why I have neglected this blog for the last couple weeks.  Its a struggle, I guess thats all I can say).

Imagine this:

You are out of work and out of food.  The only thing you have left to do is go to the local food bank for a meal.  As you go through the line, already ashamed you can’t buy your family a meal, you see someone taking pictures of the people just about to serve you food.  What thoughts would go through your mind…….

The only thing I can think of is, how demeaning.  When we care more about showing off good deeds instead of caring about people we’ve got a lot of problems. 

If that picture goes on a church bulletin board, what’s the point?   Just to make it look like we do good things?

Maybe we should put down the camera and our pride……….believe me, I deal with this everyday.

I wish I could take back that yes……..