Helping is dead

Today I sat at a Starbucks and people-watched. The Starbucks is located at a busy intersection in DC so I was able to take in a wonderful view of people going about there business and unaware of observing eyes. I noticed the couple who are together but not, walking side by side, occasionally glancing over to make sure the other person is there but without other significant interaction. The mother wearing a huge pair of sunglasses and pushing her baby in a stroller; her glasses prevented me from really seeing what her eyes were saying. The business men, clad in suits from numerous designers, talking importantly to one another and I am sure hoping they looked the part. The occasional homeless man. One sifted through garbage for food, another held a sign "let's have dinner, you pay," and yet another wearing his whole life on his back; a pair of old boots tied to his book bag which had a hole big enough that I could see what looked like boxers and a container of something. I couldn't read the label.

After about 30 mins of sitting, pretending to read, and drinking my chai tea ( a redundantly name beverage being that chai means tea) I saw it, evidence that helping is dead and the reason why. A lady was walking across the intersection and just as the pedestrian sign turned from a friendly glowing 'walk' to a threatening flashing 'stop,' she dropped a hand full of change. She was attractive, dressed in khaki shorts and a white shirt, was probably in her 30s and wore dark shades on a day when the sun was not the harshest thing to be exposed to. I watched as people hurried past, no one really stopping to help but stopping long enough not to run over her. I wondered why no one stopped to help and thought about going out to help her pick up her change before the vehicles at that time held back by the red light, were released to impart the fury of revved up engines. Then someone, a man who looked to be in his 40s, stooped to the ground and helped her pick up her change. He was backing me so I could not tell his ethnicity but he had jet black hair and fair skin. He didn't seem to be too tall, not more than 5'7''. Right as the light stopped flashing he handed her the change and she, without a smile or thank you, sped to the other side of the street while he, shaking his head continued in his same direction.

How rude! I thought. This man just took a few seconds from his life to help and didn't receive even a thank you in response. No wonder people just don't feel the need to help any more. What crap! And then I remembered something. The Bible warns us "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. (Matt 6:1). Sting!

The truth is for a Christian, each act of kindness should go without expectation of reward here on earth. If the person says thank you then that person is polite and thoughtful but it is not something I am to expect. So helping may be dead in the world, but I am not of this world and hence should not let it die out in my behaviours and neither should I be upset when the world does not acknowledge what I have done. My heavenly father sees and that is what counts.