raabjerg

The man who had no umbrella

januar 4th, 2008

The other day, as I was running down the ever-hurried steps to the Metro of Copenhagen. It was raining, so I had my umbrella out. (In some circles, I have been known as Jonas with the umbrella, but that’s a whole other story)

It’s a very nice Samsonite umbrella that I got for my birthday not so long ago, from my younger brother, and, might I add, it is somewhat expensive as well – thank’s Stian Should the following story does not highlight it, I am very fond of this umbrella.

Anyways, as I was hurrying down the stairs, my eyes caught a glimpse of a middle-aged man just standing there, smoking, as if waiting for the rain to stop. I don’t know why I felt this way, but for a brief moment, I felt strongly that I should give him the umbrella. Thinking back, I don’t know if it was one of those moments where God speaks to you – it may very well have been – but I couldn’t shake the feeling off. Or rather, that was just what I did as I was spending the 7 seconds of time from my eye caught him, until I was past him and down the escalators.

The whole day, I could not stop thinking about the guy. What if I had just paused and said ‘you look like you could use an umbrella’? What would have happened? I don’t know, and what bothers me the most is that I will never find out. (it’s not like I’m loosing sleep over it, but still)

I told one of my friends about this – she shrugged and said ‘but then you wouldn’t have had an umbrella ‘. Which is true, but I could have just gotten another one. It would have been the equivalent of giving 200 DKK to a person in need.

Imagine if the guy was standing there, smoking, looking out to the rain, silently saying with a slight smile of disbelief: ‘God, if you’re there, give me an umbrella’. Or something less spectacular Point is, I will never know.

And what is more, I would like to be the kind of guy who would give his umbrella to someone in need of one. Who would live by the principle of Jesus in Luke 16.

“And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. ‘Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.’” (Luke 16:9-13)

I could have chosen to become the man who had no umbrella. Instead, I let someone else stay in that role.

( Hope I have not offended my brother too much with this post )

Entry Filed under: Denmark, Life, Theology