The Smooth Surface of Wrong Things

Dan's note:
This is a continuing thought from the last entry.

As a young man I blew through more than my fair share of cars. And as a person who grew up and graduated High School in the 70's, I was a freak about muscle cars in particular. With rare exception, if the car was between 69 and 72 I was in love.

Camaro's, Chevelle's, Mustangs, SuperBea's to GTO's - man what a time to for fast! However, my all time favorite car to this day - hands down, is the 55 Chevy. Properly restored and with the right equipment it's a head turner for most anyone.

When you have the privilege of actually standing beside a restored master piece like a muscle car, you'll be drawn to the attention the owner has given to meticulous detail. Of course there is one thing that will capture your attention above all else - the finish.

Bending down just enough to look from front to back and with your hand running ever so slowly across the surface as though your finger tips have eyes, you'll pay careful attention to how perfect the surface is. Of course the smoother the surface, the more impressed you are.

The smoother and perfect the surface is, the less distracted you are. Simply put, the owner of the vehicle has not given you any reason to be distracted or disturbed in what he's given you to observe.

However - if there is one single blemish, one ding, even the tiniest of flaws, your eyes will focus without effort to the spot on the surface that has interrupted smooth. Your appreciation diminished, the memory of the imperfection is well noted.

When I first encountered Bob (not his name) his state ID said he was 27, while everything else about him looked more like 50. He had the familiar smell of the street; the paradox of freshness associated with the great outdoors blended with the pungent aroma of bad decisions.

Bob had the behavior of a well groomed salesman, his clear intent was to relieve me of the burden associated with carrying about an unused dollar.

You've met Bob, he's a lot like the Bob's in your life experience. To me, encountering Bob is just like observing the smooth unblemished surface of a finely restored car.

Bob has the smooth surface of wrong things.

Unchecked poverty. Unchecked illiteracy. Unchecked recidivism. Unchecked homelessness. Unchecked health issues. Unchecked addiction. Unchecked brokenness. Unchecked Family disintegration. Unchecked disenfranchisement of Parents.

Most of these unchecked and nearly pandemic issues have not even a single blemish - they are unchecked! Just like the smooth surface of the finish of a car, without a blemish there is no real reason for anyone to pay attention - no reason to be distracted.

If you think the wrong thing going on with Bob is the blemish - human behavior and the associated historical reality is against you. If the wrong things going on in Bob's life were viewed as a blemish we would pay attention. Our eyes would focus on the blemish. We would roll up our sleeves and as though our fingertips had eyes we would do something about it.

His blemish would be the only thing we would think about and it would be well noted. But my brothers and sisters Bob is not well noted - not by too many of us.

His surface is smooth. The smooth surface of wrong things has conditioned him to capitalize on not really being noticed. His smooth unchecked, without blemish and not a single dent surface allows him to go unnoticed to the point of relative freedom to ask perfect strangers for the imperfect gift of a dollar.

Here's today's question: 'Have I made a dent today in someones smooth surface of wrong things?'

When you step into someones life, you are leaving a blemish, a mark, a dent. That dent will be noticed by others who will add their dent and soon the reality of their life will no longer go unnoticed by even them - which is the point.

Making a dent,
Dan


From last week; "What did He mean:
What did Jesus mean when He said 'the poor you will have with you always?' He was and is mocking you. Jesus did not come to abolish, but to fulfill the law. According to the law, it was a shame to allow there to be poverty at all. His statement in question form to Judas could easily have been; 'Why are there poor among you to begin with Judas?'

What did He mean?

One of my favorite all time movies is; 'The Princess Bride.' Jim Kingsburry a long time friend and missionary, turned me on to this classic years ago.

The movie has a ton of great one liners like;
'stop that rhyming and I mean it!' 'Does anyone want a peanut?'
'have fun storming the castle!'
'maybe he's not using the same wind we are using?'

Among the numerous funny dialogue scenes is the exchange between Vizzini, a Sicilian man of genius and Montoya the Spaniard who was known for his swordsmanship, who together with the giant Fezzik had kidnapped the fiance of prince Humperdink who wanted to blame Guilda, the land across the sea in order to start a war.

There you go, that's about as geeky as I plan on being (for now).

Vizzini kept using the word 'inconceivable' when answering any one's questions regarding whether the three of them would be successful in their kidnapping of the princess. After one of the many times he said 'inconceivable' and having not been questioned about his word usage before, Montoya said; 'That word you keep using, I don't think it means what you think it means.'

On another note.

Long ago in a time of rampant and obvious poverty, a time not so different than our own present realities where the poor are in need of great assistance, there was a women who for the love of a dear and trusted friend used an expensive ointment to wash his feet. The act while a sincere portrayal of gratitude and fidelity was viewed by an observer with a thief's heart, as waste.

And so he protested; 'Why wasn't this ointment sold for three hundred denarii (a years wage) and given to the poor?'

With the fragrance filling the room the woman's friend, who is my friend and your friend as well, said; 'the poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. '

What did He mean?

If you are in the work of serving within the river of the human condition, I guarantee you've encountered and pondered this verse which can be found in all four Gospels. Personally, I often have this verse quoted to me when I'm speaking about ending or at least (somebody please) reducing poverty and poverty causing realities like homelessness.

Comes the quick witted response; 'Well Dan, you know Jesus said, the poor you will have with you always.'

I will confess, somewhere between my blood boiling when I hear that sentiment and my heart aching over the ill effects of unchecked poverty I manage to summon the answer; Whatever He meant, I don't think He meant what we think He meant.

News flash: Even reasonable observation would suggest His statement certainly wasn't a blanket insurance policy that covers us for the head on collision we're having with poverty.

Furthermore, I don't think with hundreds of references in the Bible related to poverty and the poor, Jesus was somehow signing our perpetual hall pass when it comes solving, not fixing the systemic and rooted causes of poverty.

I believe we can say with certainty though, His statement about the ever existence of the poor was qualitative, not quantitative. While we may always have people within our community that need food, clothing and shelter (qualitative) does there have to be so many? (quantitative).

Here's today's question: Have you considered what your next decision would entail if you became intolerant of poverty?

Next week's post: The smooth finish of wrong things.

Making a Dent,
Dan