The gospel of the widow's mite

There she was ready for ridicule

Taking a picture this afternoon of a woman conservatively dressed almost looking destitute made me wonder about the tendency to ridicule people.

Our deep-seated prejudices surface as expressions of curiosity revealing a visage of disdain that would almost draw approval from any passer-by.

She had a message which through programming, teaching and indoctrination – say faith – one may not ridicule – Jesus Saves – albeit in German; a message that has been about for over 2 millennia but which many fail to make relevant to themselves, their lives, their societies or their communities.

Looking at her, I did wonder how her presentation of the message would attract anyone on a day that attracted all the finery and celebration of gaiety and the debauched.

Not a time for asceticism

People were out in literally thread-bare clothes soaking in the sun and having a joyous time, definitely not a time to consider asceticism.

Then I remembered those Christian tracts that encouraged you into the embracing arms of Jesus Christ, well, I meant to say, terrified you horribly by making you the leading player of a sketch that had you burning in hell.

As you read the tract and break out in cold sweat with just enough strength to pray save me, you realise that you are dusting off the ashes from your singed eyebrows in an ashes to ashes act which had already been said of you in the presence of the devil from whom you have just run for dear life.

Rewards so different

In any case, the woman in her small way did not have the trappings of opulence nor the ostentation of jewellery that exemplifies modern day apostles in doing her part for the gospel.

No exhibitions of wealth untold that they would not be eligible for the streets of gold if many had their say in the final reckoning.

However, like Jesus said of the widow [Source - Lesson of the widow's mite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia] who had the least but gave it all as opposed to those who had a lot and only gave of what they have, the gospel’s methods of reward are far more advanced than the performance metrics any HR department can aspire to for objectivity.

The KPIs [Source - Key performance indicator - Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia] might just make her worthy of more because of her sincerity, dedication and purposefulness than stadium filling evangelists who have to do logistics before the gospel.

And so all I can say to the lady is keep up the work, it might well be good too.