In a rather complicated series of interrelated blog posts (which I have no intention of trying to summarize because I doubt I could maintain any semblance of coherence), David Wayne over at the JollyBlogger had offered his thoughts on a post by Tod Bolsinger entitled Astonishing Generosity about our Christ-centered duty to express our faith through tangible love in “becoming people who reflect God’s astonishing generosity.” Wayne was influenced positively by Bolsinger’s thoughts and, later, encouraged by a brief anecdote by Jared Wilson at The Thinklings on this subject; he wanted to share it with his readers for their spiritual edification—but with a caveat: he said he did not want “to start any kind of chain reaction where bloggers start trying to top one another’s stories”

Umm… it would seem that I summarized it anyway. Well, I hope it was coherent.

Anyhow, in one respect I have to wonder why Wayne would want to avoid such a thing. Perhaps the issue of ‘pride’ was on his mind, and by this I mean that he probably did not want to see bloggers pridefully engaging in holier-than-thou behavior. Although I certainly see the wisdom in this, I want to offer a perspective from the other side of the coin. What if bloggers did start a “chain reaction” of anecdotes describing ways in which they were able to practice astonishing generosity? And what if it uplifted our fellow believers to see Christ-praising grace running rampant in various parts of the globe and motivated them to either share their own edifying anecdotes or to go out into the world and turn such Christian principles into practice?

This seems to be what Michael Asbell was thinking when he commented (in Wilson’s post) that we need, with greater consistency, to turn these ideas of grace into acts of grace, that it is an unfortunate reality that too many people “agree with things like this [more] in principle than in practice.” Personally, I often find myself disheartened by the apparent lack of layman charity in my city, a situation that is aggrevated by the number of people who claim to be believers. In other words, if there are as many believers in this city as church membership would indicate, then why is there not a great deal more layman charity observed? And by “layman charity” I mean people going out there and getting their hands dirty, so to speak, becoming personally involved in manifesting to the world this grace wrought by Christ. (The question is rhetorical, of course, since the answer is already revealed in Scripture, but it is hoped that it might kindle a fire under the seat of some whose spiritual life is prepared to engage God’s grace at a new level.) It almost seems as if people are content to give a fraction of their income to the church and consider their Christian duty as being finished for the week, confident that the church will use that money to do good somewhere.

Such a practice is certainly a good thing and it is certainly needed, but is it enough? I submit that for the true child of God it is not. We as God’s children are called to participate in a more authentic and sincere vocation with a deeper level of commitment influenced by a profound love for God. As a pastor of mine once reflected, “What am I doing for a God to whom I owe everything?” This is not merely a positive abstract principle upon which we contemplate whenever we are not too busy doing something else. If we are at all “a new creation” through saving grace in Christ, then love and peace and kindness and goodness, etc., are not principles for intellectual digestion but real attributes of our character, God willing, as the fruit of the Spirit manifests itself in our sanctification as our nature is further conformed to the image of the Son.

This is why I am in favour of hearing the personal anecdotes that believers can share about the various opportunities they’ve had in their own lives to reflect God’s astonishing generosity. I want to know—not assume—that there are some genuine believers out there in the world authentically doing the work of Christ among the lost. “It is a central activity of the followers of Christ to reveal God to the world,” Bolsinger writes, insisting that it’s not enough to be generous: “Our generosity must astonish the people around us, leaving them dumbfounded for an explanation, flabbergasted for a rationale. It’s not enough to be good to [those] who are good to us; if we are going to be his followers [then our] generosity must flow to the very people [to whom] we don’t want to be generous,” and to a degree that leaves them astonished. This I feel compelled to affirm with a heartfelt amen to Bishop Wright and Tod Bolsinger. “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:9-10).

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful . . . And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Col. 3:12-17).