The other day I sent out this simple tweet: “Pondering the implications of adding ‘have to’ to my view of responsibility. Someone else will clean it up vs someone else will have to…” Since then I have not been able to shake this simple thought from my mind and I think it may warrant some more attention. It really is a simple shift in thinking, but I feel like its one of those “profundity wrapped in simplicity” things, like a Shakespearean sonnet in a fortune cookie. I was going to say one of Shakespeare’s plays, but then I realized the print would have to be so small nobody could read it, and that’s not profound at all. I suppose you could put it in a really big fortune cookie. But that would be weird. Regardless, I truly believe the act of incorporating “have to” into our daily thinking is one of the most simple yet complicated, easy yet difficult, quick yet time consuming things we can attempt.
Here’s what it looks like. In seemingly meaningless situations that we encounter everyday we pass over opportunities to be courteous, kind, responsible or generous because we assume (usually subconsciously) “somebody else will.” For example, I don’t need to stop and see if that person on the side of the highway needs help because somebody else will. It’s not a big deal if I leave my trash here. Somebody else will clean it up. I could cook up a thousand vague examples, but you get what I mean. If not, somebody else will.
But what if we add the tiny phrase “have to” to the end of those thoughts. If I don’t help that person somebody else will have to. If I don’t clean this up somebody else will have to. Those two simple words shift the responsibility in everyday, casual situations from other people to me. Instead of assuming someone else is responsible for something, what if we volunteer ourselves to be responsible? In a culture that despises the idea of personal responsibility, and especially among people who view certain acts and responsibilities as beneath them, adopting this view would be truly countercultural. It would be quietly radical. It would be a lot like Jesus. What this idea really boils down to is servanthood. Are we servants to others in daily invisible ways, or only in grandiose and theatrical ways? Are we willing to feel the responsibility of things that have not been named our responsibility? Or do we secretly and inwardly love the idea of being so important that others serve us?
I think the simply difficult addition of “have to” to our thinking is more Jesus-like than most realize. Why did Jesus wash his disciples’ feet? Because if he didn’t somebody else would have to. Why did Jesus choose the agony of God’s judgment on the cross? Because if he didn’t somebody else (me) would have to. Why did Jesus curse a fig tree that had no figs? Probably because he was really hungry. Ok, that one doesn’t fit here. But why did Jesus say he came to dwell among us? To serve, not to be served.
So I leave you with this final thought (JERRY! JERRY! JERRY! I wonder who will understand that reference). From now on try to look around you and be more aware of chances to engage in acts of kindness and service, not because it’s your job, but simply so someone else does not have to. That is true service.
werdguys 