The Pirate & the Ghost
/November 7, 2022
Scripture
“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full - pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. (Luke 6:37-38 NLT)
The Pirate & the Ghost
The pirate bent over and picked up the chocolate treat and placed it in the ghost’s bag. It was a quick moment of intuitive grace that has stayed with me since the kids came to the door trick or treating last Monday evening. We had kids from babes in arms to Grade 9 girls arrive at the porch, laughing and holding out their goody bags for treats.
It’s something I enjoy, grabbing handfuls of treats and giving them to the kids. But this trio of kids caught my attention because when I’d dropped some treats into his bag and another hit the ground as I moved toward his friend’s bag, the pirate put the errant candy into the ghost’s bag as an automatic action.
It’s funny that his simple act is exceptional in our world where we are trained to grab for any advantage we can in the competition for resources at our disposal. I expected the pirate to act in character and grab the candy for himself, instead he had a kind streak that has warmed me for a week.
We all are pirates in our own ways, but we can have a kind streak that prefers the other and seeks the advantage of those next to us on our life’s journey. Planting seeds of preference may grow a crop of kindness in our world.
A Prayer for Today
O God, the sun shines on us today whether we are grateful or ungrateful, help us to be more generous with those we encounter each day. So many live lives of fear and deprivation because of acts of aggressors and despots. Help us see beyond our own desire for preference and let us trust that your grace will allow generosity of spirit to grow among us. …. For Jesus’ sake
