Panhandler

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not much of an evangelist, but I'm also glad to admit that I’m working toward the day when I can comfortably affirm my faith before others. While I'm still a bit chary bringing up my faith with family and friends, neighbors and co-workers, there is one group of people with whom I'm a bit more comfortable in sharing my faith. When I give some panhandler a couple of bucks, I try to remember (and I do remember, about 85% of the time), to also give him God’s blessing.

But there's more to it than just giving a panhandler God's blessing, and that's what I'd like to address right here.

 

Which brings to mind something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Panhandlers. Beggers. I’m sure there are other names, but you know who I mean. People who are down on their luck and can't help it, or small-time con men who make it their business to look down on their luck. They often have hand-made signs. They seem prone, if the opportunity presents itself, lets show their physical deformities.  Who try to present, physically, the “case” for making a donation.

Some are frauds, good actors, but one man I saw recently had a sign saying he'd been burned - and he wore his shirt open so you could see the burns and blisters - he should have been in a hospital instead of on the street corner, but his plight broke my heart and opened myself to act in a way I hope God sees as generous.

I used to swing between handing out something to those among these panhandlers whom I “thought” were in real need (and who therefore “deserved” my help) and swinging toward avoiding all of them like they were plague carriers.

However, sometime in the past year, I latched onto a scriptural passage (Matthew 25) in which Jesus says he’ll judge harshly those who denied him – using as an example, “when you do this for the least of these, you do it for me” – then blending that scripture with another scriptural old favorite, “judge not, lest ye be judged” … (Matthew 7)

Having thought this through, having prayed on it and now feeling guided by God's influence, what I try to do is NOT judge panhandlers based on whether I think they’re worthy of my charity or not. I’ll let God judge their heart. Instead, if they ask for help – or if they just look like they need help – I give them a couple of bucks – and with that, I give them God’s blessing … Over time, I've also seen that my giving has grown - from a literal "couple of bucks" to a five or a ten. Not because I'm in a better position to afford this spontaneous charity, but because I find my heart demands increased generosity.

And when I have this opportunity, I to remember to give thanks that they have provided me with an opportunity to help one of those who just might be one of Christ’s “least of these.” That they have given me an opportunity to live my faith. I even try to keep several packets of gift bucks - two or three five dollar bills folded into my shirt pocket, ready to be plucked out and donated at the drop of a hat.

I don't know if I'm supposed to judge and evaluate panhandlers - I don't know if I should risk being an enabler (I know the stats say lots of these people are addicts or alcoholics, looking for their next score), but I do know that if I try to make judgements, sorting the worthy from the unworthy, then I'm indeed making judgments. Jesus was pretty specific on that point. And I know that everyone I take a pass on might be one of those who - in their need - are Christ visiting my life - and in my love of God, I dare not miss the opportunity to help those in need.

I know giving panhandlers a few bucks doesn't fulfill my obligation to help others of God's children, but I also believe that it's a start. And looking for people in need as I drive through "Sin City" keeps me focused, thinking about how God expects us to help those in need, as if they were Himself. I think I'm on the right track, and I ask God through prayer to help me make sure I stay (or get on) that right track.

I pray that God will help me figure things out in my life, so I can fulfill the mission He's given to me in this life. This is a small step, but it's one I take in hope that it will lead to a better understanding of what God really wants from me.

Surprise - an email exchange

This is an email exchange between me and a professional colleague of mine from Washington DC. He and I have "known" each other online for a number of years, and have talked on the phone, but we've not met - and as far as I can recall, I don't believe we've ever talked of matters of faith.

However, in a recent email exchange, I mentioned doing some volunteer fund-raising and PR work for my church, which prompted this email back-and-forth with Michael. You might find it interesting ... I hope so.

Ned Barnett - February 28, 2011

Michael wrote:

Has something changed? I thought you had been raised in a church as a boy but had either become an atheist or agnostic. If you’ve come back, then welcome home. We missed you.

To which I replied:

Michael

I don’t know if I was an agnostic; I know I wasn’t an atheist, but I also wasn’t much of a believer. My faith was shaken by the death of my son ten or so years ago, and it was rattled by my wife’s suicide going on four years ago. At the time of her death, I had been going to church for the first time in two decades, but when God’s answer to my prayers for her was “no, not this time,” I took a holiday from faith. I literally told God I’d see him later … which didn’t mean I didn’t believe, but it did mean that he could go his way and I’d go mine.

But something was missing. My new wife (who’d basically “escaped” from a cult-like ministry she and her ex- and been officials in) and I both knew that God was in our future, but we couldn’t find an expression for it. Then last summer, the star of The Passion of the Christ, Jim Caviezel, was featured at a local mega-church, Central Christian, and we decided to go hear him. I’d seen this place for years, always felt “something” but had never thought about going – and I had no idea what they believed. This place looked like a modern high school, and when I went in, the auditorium (not sanctuary), the rock ban, and the pastor in blue jeans all took me aback. But there was something about it that attracted me.

So I went back the next weekend (BTW – they have Saturday late-afternoon services, allowing me to sleep in on Sunday, a big plus) and got to see the regular service (with the rock band and the pastor in jeans), and was impressed. So Lynn and I started going to their “First Steps” program, a seven-week course to prepare people who might want to become members (I liked the fact that you couldn’t just “join” without going to school to learn what they believed). And I read the pastor’s book, “Uncensored Truth,” which gave an articulate review of the beliefs of the church (beliefs that I found resonated with me – especially those centered around “Grace” – which seems to be the driving force behind this church which proclaims itself as being for broken people … like me, apparently). So we completed the First Steps program in October, I was baptized and joined – but even before then, I’d reached out to the pastor, got an introduction to the communications director (then the woman’s minister, who I’d met in the First Steps program), and the finance director) and began offering my services.

I learned that the church was going through a strategic branding session following the precepts of Seth Godin in his book Meatball Sundae. So I got a copy, read it – and did so at a time when I was professionally just trying to come to grips with Social Networking and Social Media and all that “stuff” which (except for blogging) I’d largely ignored. Over the holiday, I helped the church with press releases and a tempest-in-a-teapot media “crisis” and I put together for the pastor a book-launch/book-promotion program for his new book, published by Zondervan, Throw it Down (which is about beating addiction AND about the book of Exodus – a fascinating blend of the two concepts). He really liked the plan but chose not to embrace it because he didn’t want to leave the church to tour the book – and I respected that (he’d pass up “gain” in favor of his primary mission).

Now I’m working (again) with a former client – we met today and agreed to do so – and I’ll be helping him with social media. But what’s really interesting is this friend-since-’92 had found Christ in the last year, too – so we began comparing notes, and we’ll probably wind up collaborating on a social networking project around Revelations and Prophecy (his focus, and something that’s long fascinated me). He’s really going to town – reading everything he can get his hands on, really analyzing it, even trying to learn Greek so he can better understand the real meaning of the Gospels and the other books of the bible. He and I spend far more time talking about our understanding of faith and the bible than we do talking shop … it’s like I’ve discovered a new friend all over again.

So, anyway, Michael, this is my story (in brief).

BTW – I’ve started a blog on my faith journey – would you have any objection to me publishing my comments here (in answer to your question) in my blog?

Either way, thanks for asking. I appreciate you noticing and asking.

Your friend (and now your friend in Christ)

Ned



Ned Barnett, APR
Marketing & PR Fellow, American Hospital Association
Barnett Marketing Communications
420 N. Nellis Blvd., A3-276 - Las Vegas NV 89110
702-561-1167 - cell/text
www.barnettmarcom.com - twitter @nedbarnett
http://pr-marketing2point0.blogspot.com/

Faith in the Workplace

I've begun to bring my faith into the workplace. It's had a rocky start, but I'll get there.

First, I was encouraged by a colleague to basically steal images online for use in a PowerPoint - "It's OK because it won't be online and only a dozen or so people will see it - no harm, no foul." Didn't feel right and I said so. Then I took it to the senior partner and said I wasn't going to be part of that. I think I annoyed her - I think she felt I came across sanctimonious (since her standards were the same). Live and learn - not to modify my standards, but to better express them.

Next, in one of the online list-servs I participate in, a question came up about the value of a conscious strategy of alienating opponents (and, conversely, pumping up friends). After reviewing ways that this can apply in PR and marketing, as well as in life (sports, Wall Street, etc.), I wrote this:

"The historically and spiritually most-significant example is Jesus, who made it clear that if you weren’t for him, you were against him – that you had to be “all in” with him or, as noted in scripture (John 3:16) that He was the only way to heaven. His “Great Commission” was intended to fire up followers to go out and save the world in His name. He certainly alienated the Pharisees and Sadducees and did so intentionally – he took on wealth and privilege and alienated many powerful people. He dined with sinners and Republicans (oops, I mean publicans) and mocked those who were self-righteous (let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone)."

This is my first more-or-less public testimony, and the first time I've put my faith out to an audience in the context of work. Not sure where it will go, yet, but it's a start.

Should I get any blow-back or feed-back, I'll blog it here.

Ned in Vegas

Faith's Journey

I am early in my journey of faith, and it's my hope that by writing it down and sharing it, others may be able to relate my experiences to their own faith's journey.

Background:

I've gone to conventional protestant churches off and on throughout my life, but only in snippets, followed by long periods of ... well, nothing much to do with the church. Or faith. If you pushed me, I'd say I believed,, sort-of, but I also had a lot of skepticism that - coupled with a lack of a real understanding of or familiarity with Scripture - was skepticism based on ignorance.

And I can't say that I had any faith to speak of. It just didn't matter all that much. I wanted to believe that there was a purpose for my son John David's accidental death at age 17 ten years ago, and for his mother's (my wife's) suicide seven years later when she couldn't face one more anniversary of John's death. And I wanted to believe that they lived on in heaven, embraced by a loving God - but that didn't keep me awake nights. I guess I just wasn't engaged in life-after-life - I had enough problems living in the here and now.

The story begins:

For a long time before last August (2010), I had felt a growing emptiness inside, one that wasn't physical but one I could nonetheless feel. And for years, I'd been driving by this modernistic-looking mega-church in suburban Las Vegas - it fronted on the Interstate, and looked more like a high school than any church I'd ever attended or seen. But for years, it had intrigued me, for reasons I couldn't fathom.

In August, I noticed a billboard in front of the church, Central Christian (www.centralonline.com), announcing that actor Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, was going to be at an upcoming service. Even better, it was on a Saturday evening, and wouldn't interfere with our sleep-in-Sunday. I mentioned this to my wife of nearly three years, Lynn - because I knew she valued that film highly. It turned out she had received a postcard about the appearance, and was interested, so we agreed to go.

This experience was all new to me. There was a loud rock band playing music I didn't recognize - and people stood for the songs, a seemingly-interminable time. After a few brief messages and the obligatory offering (I gave a dollar, I believe) Jim was interviewed by the pastor; both in blue jeans, very informal, in an auditorium, not a sanctuary. Totally unlike anything I'd experienced (but not, as it turned out, particularly unfamiliar to Lynn). Part of Caviezel's appearance was spontaneous and moving - part of his presentation was obvious rehearsed, but no less moving.

Afterwards, we agreed that this wasn't a "typical" service, but we also agreed to give it another chance. Turns out the senior pastor, Jud Wilhite, had written a book about the articles of faith followed by the church. This was important to me - if I was going to get involved with a church that was so different from what I'd known, I wanted to know what they believed. The book, Uncensored Truth, was compelling, funny and confirmed to me that I could accept the church's teachings - in spades.

Something had happened. I wanted to go to church the next Sunday. And I wanted to start in their "First Steps" class designed to help interested individuals learn more, and decide, to join the church. You had to complete the course and be baptized to join - I liked that; most churches make it so easy to join that there's little skin in the game. This one expected you to make a real, informed, commitment.

I'm not sure how it happened, but I knew that I wanted to take the plunge (literally and figuratively), and to become a member. Not just of a church, but a member of the group of people who are Christ followers, who see this as important and life-altering and altogether necessary for them in their lives. I guess I was finding something to fill that hole inside me.

But this wasn't a pentacostal moment for me - no rushing winds, no tongues of flame, no divine certainty. I've had to work on my faith, rather than having it handed to me on a silver platter. I felt some light touches that I am sure are divine in nature - I'll explain them as I go along - and I've felt both compelled and eager to change my ways in some important cases and issues. I've seen a few important prayers answered ... not always as I expected ... but I've also had some earnest prayers go (so far) unanswered.

Join me on my journey if you will. And follow me on Twitter: @nedfaithjourney

That's what this new blog is about.