Every morning, I'd meet him on Highway K. Bob was on his way home after an early morning at the coffee shop with his buddies. I was on my way to the church to begin my day. I recognized Bob's red pickup truck traveling in my direction long before I saw Bob at the wheel. When we are yards apart, there would be a welcoming wave, an acknowledgement that we were neighbors. We did not belong to the same church. We probably did not vote for the same candidates in the elections. We did not socialize beyond that morning wave.
Once, if I remember it correctly, Bob turned too soon onto Highway K in a snowstorm. He ended up in the grassy ditch. I remember stopping and helping to pull the red pickup back up onto the pavement. That morning wave created a relationship, a bond of care, that transcended whatever differences might have been between us. The wave built the bridge to mutual care and help when that was needed.
So, I'm wondering about waving. In the Northeast where I lived for more than a decade, folks seldom waved to one another. I recall driving into the parking lot at our Conference Office and waving to staff who were taking a short walk during lunch. They looked at me quizzically, as though they had never seen me before. Waving was not part of that culture. It felt strange, not to have a friendly wave reciprocated. The gesture was not understood.
Now that I am back in the Mid-West and serving as pastor and teacher in a small city, I find waving is again important. I want to be know as the pastor who waves in recognition and greeting. I also want to practice simple acts of courtesy and kindness.
Recently, after a funeral at St. Peter's UCC, I observed three cars speeding along Fifth Street as the grieving family was trying to cross the street. The crosswalk did not matter. Those three cars did not stop; they did not even slow down for the group of ten or more that was waiting to cross. I thought, "How rude!" "How disrespectful!" In the Northeast, motorists would slam on their breaks to make sure that pedestrians were given the right of way. That is a major difference from the way we often drive here.
Perhaps today would be a good day to think of those simple acts of kindness and care. Take time to be considerate of others--all others--even if they annoy you or disagree with you or make life difficult for you. Wave, smile, and give them the right of way if they stand before you in the crosswalk. Stop and help if they are stuck in the ditch. You see, I believe, in those simple acts God's love and mercy are made visible for us all. If ever there were a time when compassion and kindness were needed in human relationships, it is now!
O Gracious God, help me to show forth your love in the ways that I live this life. May simple acts of kindness help to change hearts and minds. May a friendly wav make a difference in someone's life today. Amen.
