When Queen Elizabeth II of England was crowned, a certain world statesman was an honored guest at the coronation. When he returned to his own country, he was asked what sight impressed him most. He surprised his questioner answering: “I was returning to my hotel one night, when I saw a boy huddled in a doorway with his tiny sister. It was cold, and the boy had taken off his coat and wrapped it around her to keep her warm. This sight was more impressive than even the coronation itself”. Such selfless generosity is always moving. But it should not be rare for disciples of the Lord. In fact, it is expected of us. When Christ tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, he says at the end of it “Go and do likewise”. He tells us this because he desires that we treat others as we are treated by God who is generous in all things. The Lord himself will lay down his life for us. So during this season of Lent, one of the things we should be questioning ourselves about is our generosity. Are we generous to those in need with our money, with our time, with our expertise? Are we generous in a way that costs us something, not just with something we have left over?
Are we willing to take off our coat, so to speak, to keep someone else warm even if it means that we might be cold? Lent should change us to become more generous in all things, not just for a few weeks but forever.
