The kindness of strangers
Commentary by the Rev. Robert Austell, August 26, 2009
I have been teaching and prodding my congregation toward recognizing our missional identity in Christ for several years now. By that I mean a through-and-through conviction that to be a Christian means one is sent into the world to be the face of Christ. 
The statue stolen from Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Charlotte will be replaced thanks to a gift from a man who was bothered that a church would be targeted despite all the good it does in the community. The anonymous donor is not a Christian, but certainly showed Christ-like compassion and generosity.
Though this kind of identity-change has been slow, I have seen it happening in my congregation. Even still, it is so easy to default to old ways of thinking: “How can we attract more people to our church programs? What else do we need to offer the people who come to worship?”
And it is easy to get distracted, particularly when money tightens, a roof starts leaking or something unexpected happens.
Several weeks ago, some would-be troublemakers were frightened off as they were trying to vandalize or steal a piece of statuary in our columbarium and memorial garden. Only a week or two later, they returned and finished the job, taking the statue and a large, wooden picnic table.
The theft was discouraging. The stolen 34-inch, 100-plus pound statue was a depiction of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, for which our church was named. Our senior adults had designed the gardens and statue, and the violation was more than the loss of property. It would have been easy to think, “Why should we invest ourselves so heavily in a community that treats us this way? Why not hunker down with so much of American Christendom and wall ourselves off from society and culture and those who would do us harm?”
The local news stations sent camera crews out to interview me and the theft was reported on the metro news. The local paper, The Charlotte Observer, ran a version of the story on its Web site. Over that weekend a man living just outside Charlotte e-mailed me to ask if we planned to replace the statue. If so, he’d like to make a donation. He asked what the replacement cost was and when I responded that it was estimated at $1,000, he wrote back and said he’d like to stop by with a check.
He asked that his name not be used so it wouldn’t detract from what he was doing. But what was he doing, and why? He didn’t want thieves to have the last word. He was very bothered that someone would steal from any house of worship, when the religious community gives so much back to the larger community (oh, may his words be true!). And finally, as he was signing the check to the church, I pointed to our bulletin to indicate how to spell “Presbyterian,” saying that often people found it hard to spell. He thanked me and said that he wasn’t Presbyterian; in fact, he wasn’t a Christian. I thanked him profusely and promised to challenge my congregation and others who heard the story to “pay it forward.”
It is amazing and significant enough that a stranger would write a $1,000 check to a church simply to make an anonymous statement of encouragement to a congregation and surrounding community.
But what has really impacted me spiritually is being on the receiving end of a missional act. From the man’s own lips, he is not a follower of Jesus Christ. And yet, he graced us with Christ-like compassion. It was, truly, a free gift out of love for neighbor. He caused me to experience what it feels like for someone to venture outside their home, community and circle of friends to offer a gesture of peace and grace, and in deference to God (if not specific obedience). And that experience is transformative.
This is what we are called to be and do. This is the kind of going beyond church walls, familiar Christian sub-culture, and circle of friends that every Christian should embrace as a follower of Christ, because that’s what Jesus was like. Jesus prayed to the Father on our behalf, “As you have sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” (John 17:18)
This picture of sent grace was certainly worth a thousand words about being sent with grace. Oh may we have ears to hear and hearts to follow!
The Rev. Dr. Robert Austell is pastor of Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, N.C. He blogs at http://robertaustell.blogspot.com and currently serves as Moderator of the Presbytery of Charlotte. Visit www.gspc.net for more information about Good Shepherd.
Links related to story:
WCNC: http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/wcnc-080509-mrn-jesusstatue.b0f79c93.html (theft)
WBTV: http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10883961 (follow-up; donor)