A relative by marriage (whom I see too infrequently) and I were talking. It was one of the few times we ever chatted, and, indeed, one of the first times that I had ever talked to S. in-depth before. When I say ‘in-depth’, I’m referring to the philosophical, the moral, the spiritual as opposed to, say, the weather. Anyway, he was telling a great story about his Medieval fighting practices and the strange and humorous ways they have affected him, his life, and his marriage. As a result of this lively account of his Templar costume and resulting wounds, we landed squarely in the realm of chivalry as it related (and relates) to the Templars, and in modern days, to those strange, moony, dreamy people (of which I am one) who yearn for the days when a handshake meant something, when honor played out as a matter of course, and deals were fair and square.
S. told me about his idea: wouldn’t it be great to just go around helping people? It was a great idea. He elaborated. Just help people who need help. Don’t explain anything, or ask for anything in return. Don’t expect a thank you. Just do it. After some thought, S. told me that he had performed some of these random acts of kindness, and had loosely banded several people together to help him accomplish his brand of giving, but distance, time and money had derailed the project somewhat. He told me that he came to the conclusion that the ‘group’ should ‘select’ the person requiring help, rather than just ‘doing it’, as he was concerned that a line would form with people with hands extended, saying ‘where’s mine?’. This should be avoided, if possible, S. told me, and I agreed. But how, without knowing the extent of the person’s ‘need’ would one accomplish this ‘judging’ of need?
It was a great idea. I told him that I would like to be involved in some way, but as I lived 500 miles away from S., and didn’t want to ‘help’ by providing only financial assistance (which I cannot provide much of, anyway) wondered how this was all going to work out. We left it at that, more or less. That was in early July of 2010.
On the 14th of July, what would have been my grandfather’s 100th birthday, I read in the ’Forward Day by Day’ devotional booklet from our church, a passage that outlined the Cup of Cold Water Society. It was uncanny the way it mirrored S.’s plans for a society of helpers. The rules of the society, which began after a church member offered to tend the grave of an elderly lady’s husband and who couldn’t attend the grave herself (due to some very odd circumstances), are simple. I quote from the passage in the Forward Day by Day: “There are no dues, no officers, no meetings---a thoroughly satisfactory organization. The rules are that when you know someone is in need, maybe for something so simple as a cup of cold water, you help and then tell no one you did it.” I think this states succinctly what S. was trying to tell me, and irons out some of the problems he was struggling with. Don’t worry about how you can give to everyone, and don’t worry about giving to those who don’t ‘deserve’ it. One should just help where one can, and give as one can. The devotional goes on to say that God will know. Amen.
