Sunday, October 12, 2008

Onion's intent at parody actually nails it

Local Woman Devotes Life To Doing God's Busy Work

The article pokes fun at a fictitious woman who devotes herself to "mundane tasks" for God, such as ordering votive candles and sharpening the little pencils for people to fill out the visitor cards in church.

That was the entire foundation of Missionaries of Charity -- To do small things with great love.

I'm having no luck at the moment looking up scriptures, but I seem to recall that this is a revisited theme -- that it's not the size or impressiveness of the task, but the spirit in which you do the task.

Imagine how much more contented, how much less divided with factions, our churches -- and homes and workplaces -- would be if the fictitious Betty's attitude was fostered.

2 comments:

Kathy said...

Well, there's the story of "the widow's mite" in which a woman gives the smallest amount of money to the Temple, but it is all that she has; compared to the Pharisees who donated much money, but still had plenty in reserve.

And Col. 3:23, "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men."

And in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns against ostentation, telling His followers to do good works privately -- not "sounding a trumpet before them" like the Pharisees did -- for if they do things "to be seen of men, Verily I say unto you, they have their reward."

That's a start, anyway. :-)

Christina said...

Did you hear the story of "Jesus Loves Me"?

The author of the song hosted a Bible study in her home every week...she didn't run the study, only let them in her home for it.

She would set up chairs and pray before people came. In one of the pre-bible study times, I guess she wrote the song...

It became a song that links christians across the world to eachother...from stranded WWII soldiers on an island where a missionary taught the natives "Jesus Loves Me" to Amy Carmichael teaching her indian girls the song when she first brings them home.

One of those small things that makes a big difference :)