I watched an elephant save a gazelle...
And was reminded that we have to be taught not to help one another
I used to lead a program called Feed 500. Inspired by the NYC Love Kitchen, volunteers carried one lunch for themselves and one for someone else and fanned out across the city in search of mutual transformation.
One young woman, sat down with a friend on the street and they shared a meal, laughter and prayer. Her small group felt privileged to have met someone they never would have otherwise and the invisible wall that exists between the haves and have nots came down for 30 minutes as they talked near Penn Station.
Then, they were interrupted by a well-meaning man who thought that this type of behavior was wrong, even dangerous and decided to take it upon himself to let this volunteer know. He interrupted the conversation, pulled her to the side and said, “you know, you shouldn’t be doing that” and proceeded to tell the same lies that he had been told by someone about “those people”. Seeing that his advice was not sinking in, he then decided to scold her and issue another warning that one day she would regret doing things like this. I’m grateful that she obeyed Jesus and not her elders.
I believe that God made us good. We were made to give and receive love freely and share, bless and send. Conversely, I believe that the world has tempted us to believe otherwise. But every once in a while, we need reminders that we are elephants and have more power, capacity and capability that we imagine. And though society might say, we shouldn’t be concerned with gazelles, the Gospel calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves. I hope you’ll take a moment to see the people in distress around you and offer what you have. Perhaps it’s money, a meal, or a metro card. Perhaps, it’s a spare room, your extra clothes or the cell phone you don’t need any more. Whatever it is, let’s not make excuses about why we shouldn’t love because it’s literally what we were made for.
Let me know what you think! I look forward to the conversation and comments because our screens make us into lonely consumers but God made us to be a vibrant community.
– jonathan
PS. Pre-order your copy of “Beauty and Resistance: Spiritual Rhythms for Formation and Repair” to be released on November 11, 2025.
