I Got to be in a Bible Story

by Tom Pappas

As I drove out my long driveway I heard a power tool at the front of my neighbor’s property. I guessed that he was edging the grass parkway between the sidewalk and the street. (Parkway is what we call it in Lincoln, NE.)  He was not edging, but in fact he was blowing the remaining leaves from winter from his property into the street. I did not like what I saw.

Here’s what went on within me. That’s so illegal. That’s so lazy. What does he think will happen to those leaves?

I came home a couple hours later to find this: Some of the leaves were back on his parkway and sidewalk (deserved). Lots of the leaves were on my driveway, because the direction of the 35 mph traffic whooshed them in the direction of our property. Lots of the leaves were past my driveway and in our rock garden, and lots were past the rock garden in the bed between the sidewalk and our front fence (all undeserved). Grrr.

I gathered tools: a rake, a broom, a wheel barrel, and my giant dustpan. While I collected my neighbor’s renegade leaves I was trying out my speech to him. THIS I would not let go.

In the midst of raking, sweeping and collecting, God somehow gave me the Luke passage where Jesus talks about being mistreated by your enemy. For the record, my neighbor is not my enemy, but I took to heart what I believe to be the nugget of Jesus’ message, and decided I would both turn the other cheek AND give him my coat by raking the 90’ of his parkway. (I coached high school baseball for 9 years and chalked the baseline from home to first enough times to know that distance by heart.)

While I raked, I put together a great script for my “heart to heart” with my neighbor.

TOM: I want to talk to you about leaves.

NEIGHBOR: What is it?

TOM: I got some Karma that was supposed to be yours the other day.

NEIGHBOR: Huh?

TOM: Last Wednesday when I drove out you were blowing leaves into the street and when I came back they were partly back on your parking but mostly in my driveway, Laurel’s rock garden and our front bed. I was shocked and angry that you did that. It’s illegal.

NEIGHBOR: I didn’t know. I’m sorry.

TOM: The good news is that I got to be in a Bible story.

NEIGHBOR: How’s that?

TOM: In Luke, Jesus said if your enemy takes your shirt, give him your coat. You’re not my enemy, but I decided to rake your parking.

NEIGHBOR: You didn’t have to do that.

TOM: I didn’t do it for you; I did it for me. The Bible works - I’m not mad anymore.

NEIGHBOR: Thank you

It turns out that in real life I said every one of my lines fairly closely to the way I wrote them above. My neighbor, who was not present at the rehearsal, did not. He did say he would not do it again.

Luke 6:27-30 “To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously."        The Message  

Revenge is in our culture’s DNA. From my experience last week, I say revenge is a really sad option. It’s so tempting but I don’t see it melting the anger. I don’t see it putting closure on a simple dispute. Revenge doesn’t feel as good or right as letting Jesus’ teaching bring out the best in me. What a good choice it is to live generously. And I got to be in a Bible story!

Neighborly Anxieties: Part Deux, or The Outcome

by Tom Pappas

I recently wrote about two situations that were hard for me to address involving neighbors. The outcome is worth mentioning and so I will. 


The troublesome rental: I contacted six of the neighbors who had signed a letter of concern – one in person and five by phone; that situation seems to be smoothed out. My energy was boosted to approach the people west of my house about the bushes that encroach on the sidewalk.


The trespassing bushes: It took three tries to catch the “Wests” but I looked over the fence and they were having lunch outside.  I scurried around to the gate unfolding my picture of the dangerous fallen branch suspended by their foliage over the sidewalk.


Their response is worth quoting.  “We never go out there. [duh] Thanks for telling us. Someone was scheduled to take care of that in May. We’ll call today.”  Clearly I went through a lot of anguish imagining possible negative responses.


Get ready for irony.  A week after the Wests liberated the sidewalk from overgrowth I received an official letter from the city engineer indicating that I would need to trim the junipers that crowded the sidewalk in front of my property. YGTBK. 


Laurel and I made separate trips to the end of the driveway and came up with this scenario that was agreeable to the city engineer. The violation belonged to the neighbors to the east.


We share a double driveway with them. Our house numbers appear two times - on both our side, and in between the driveways where they are separate. The East’s don’t have house numbers posted. The inspector assumed the address on the sign between the drives belonged to the Easts.


I shielded the Wests from a letter by my intervention, but I got the letter that should have gone to the Easts.  No good deed goes unpunished.


God is the God of everything. God is with my anxiety about the possibility of disappointing. God is with me in the tension that comes with confrontation. God is with me through the consternation of injustice. God gives me the satisfaction of looking back with a smile of contentment and being able to eventually laugh at this good and crazy world given to us to experience.

Neighborly Anxieties

by Tom Pappas

My heart is hurting and my stomach is in a knot.  Isn’t it times like this we’re to be in prayer and remember the perspective of our loving God, who came to bring abundant life.  I hope in the praying and the writing I will get a sense of peace.

There are two situations that have me on the ropes, and both involve neighbors.  One neighbor, mine, has bushes at the front of his property that encroach on ½ the sidewalk for at least 30 feet. Walkers and bikers must go single file next to the curb on a busy street.  Yesterday I screwed up my courage to go talk to them about trimming the bushes back; I missed them by seconds as they drove out of their driveway. We waved.

The other neighbors are complaining about the people that I approved for a property I am trying to manage for a dear friend. The neighbors resent the lifestyle of the renters and the owner is disappointed too. This is the harder of the two.

The angst I feel is in relation to how much I need people’s approval.  (Note to self, don’t ever do politics.) The cordiality meter in my mind drops with each step I take toward next door to invite the neighbors to trim their bushes. My anxiety is worse as I consider trying to smooth over conflict at the rental. As this is playing out I have many times reflected on people whose every day is loaded with stress and the opportunity to not be approved of.

Being faithful isn’t about being liked - but something about me is.  I’m thinking that God would like it if I could put that part of myself on hold and boldly approach these situations.

I think I will like that too.  Is it possible that sometimes Call is away from whom we are or think we are?

Note the fallen branch in the picture. My son and I removed it as it was face-high for a bicycle rider.

In Praise of Apples by Andi Johnson

"What a healthy out-of-door appetite it takes to relish the apple of life, the apple of the world, then!"  ~ Henry David Thoreau, Wild Apples

[Warning: This blog may be hazardous to your diet.]

Here in the northeast, it’s apple pickin’ time.  It probably is where you live, too.  And, most of us know a place to pick the “best” apples.  I know several.  It’s a true community and family event at these places.  You get your basket, go into the rows of trees, and pick those ripe, juicy apples from the trees.  You strike up a conversation with the person at the next tree over, making a connection with that person.  (If you’re lucky, these places also sell the cider, and perhaps cider donuts.  If you haven’t had a fresh, warm cider donut, you’ll have to find one.) 

Eating one of apples on your way home, and thinking about whether you have the ingredients to make a crust, and eat the pie. (Don’t forget the butter…and the vanilla ice cream or sharp cheddar), your mind wanders through your years: watching your mom or grandmother make that perfect apple pie.  The making of the crust: rolling it out, and placing it in the dish.  Peeling & cutting the apples.  Adding the spices, a little sugar, and placing it all into the bottom crust.  Carefully rolling out the top crust, and crimping the edges.  You bake it in the oven, and making the house smell scrumptious. 

Of course, Pillsbury makes it easier, and we all must have apple corer-slicer-peelers for just such occasions.  I could even pick up the local apples at the grocery store. 

But, for a change, I think I’ll make my pie the way my mom and grandma did: to honor the past, to think about the connections of the generations before me.  Stopping for the food rituals, going through the old recipes, often help me think of those who have gone before me. 


Time to go apple pickin’.

How are you called to make connections with your ancestors?

P.S. Don’t forget to put on the coffee or tea, and invite a friend over to share in your creation.  And, it’s okay to have apple pie for breakfast.

A World of Need by Doug Wysockey-Johnson

This is one of those weeks when there are a lot of people who need help. It follows then that this is one of those weeks when there are a lot of people who want to help but aren’t sure how, or when, or if they can. 

Here in Vermont where I live this is certainly true. I spent yesterday carrying buckets of water and mud out of a friend’s basement. But this equation of people needing help and others wondering about if and how to help is also playing out in Chicago and Atlanta and Seattle and Des Moines.  Bad things happen every day and everywhere.  When do we drop our schedule and go?  When do we trust that it is right not to go?

There are times when a need presents itself, and we just act.  Because of who is involved or the urgency the matter, it is a no brainer.  Most of the time though, taking a moment to pause, to pray, to reflect, can help us discern whether or not we should go.  

I don’t know why I continue to be surprised by this, but prayer made a difference for me this week.  I was stuck, trying to figure out how to juggle helping neighbors with work and childcare obligations.  After spending some time praying, the way just seemed to open.  An email came from a friend stating what they needed and when.  A neighbor and I figured out how to share childcare.  Loaves get multiplied, time extends, and things just work out.

Following call (which this was) always involves a cost.  So we were woefully unprepared for our arriving guests last night, and the email box is a doing some flooding of its own.  It is a part of the deal.

Another day the leading might lead to a “no.”  I don’t believe that all of us are called to attend to all needs all the time.  I do believe that in the face of need, each of us in our own way can ask the question:  God, do you want me there?  If so, will you make a way?