Without Measure

My friend Greg has recently been meeting with members of the Crips gang. Meeting, like, hosting a picnic for the gang. Meeting, like, trying to find them jobs. Meeting, like, getting into their car, helping them with a task.

Meeting, like, taking tremendous personal risks.

Greg, by the way, has much at stake. He’s a college graduate, the director of a large organization. He has a beautiful wife, two terrific kids and a lovely home. He’s a success by every societal standard of measurement.

But there he goes, meeting the scariest people.

Greg pours grace into the lives of those people, those people who aren’t even law-abiding. They aren’t repentant. They aren’t promising or even trying to be “good people”. They don’t deserve his kindness. And yet there he goes, pouring it out without measure.

Some people think Greg is naïve and foolish. But he, in his foolishness and naivete, is teaching me to quit measuring kindness. Just do it. Pour it out. Give and give and give – not to those who like you, but those who hurt you. Not to those you trust, but those you cannot trust.

I don’t know what he is teaching others, his neighbors, his friends or the Crips themselves. I just know what he’s teaching me.

Here’s to the gracious among us, those who find the strength to pour out kindness without measure.