When Good Deeds Go Bad
I like eggs. Scrambled eggs, over medium eggs, eggs and cheese, cheesy bacon scrambled eggs, omelets. Of course, for the right effect, you have to say that list using a voice akin to Bubba Blue from Forest Gump. My wife has this deliciously simple recipe we call "fried rice" (because it is rice... fried) that is a mixture of rice, bacon and of course, eggs. Fresh off the stove, steaming hot, with just the right amount of pepper and a pinch of salt, fried rice is my comfort food. But eggs—as good as they are when freshly prepared—can go bad. And nobody likes eggs that have gone bad.
Surprisingly, good deeds are like eggs. Good deeds, when fresh, can be exciting, rejuvenating, and can leave everyone involved with wonderful feelings—even, at times, in spite of circumstances. Good deeds can even overcome "bad blood" if they are presented with the right heart, a good heart, or if prepared and presented just right. But like eggs, good deeds can go bad. Like eggs, nobody wants to be left holding a bad batch of "good" deeds.
Such appears to be the case with Johnny Bobbitt and Kate McClure. For those who are not regular followers, I praised Bobbitt and McClure in my blog a year ago when the homeless vet Bobbitt used his last twenty dollars to get gasoline for McClure, who had run out of fuel near the overpass Bobbitt frequented. McClure and her boyfriend, Mark D'Amico, established a "gofundme" campaign for Bobbitt with the stated goal of repaying his kindness and getting him off the street. In November, 2017, Bobbitt, McClure and D'Amico's deeds were fresh, rejuvenating, and the site quickly amassed $400,000 for the cause.
Just like eggs left out unattended long after the meal is over, our story took a sour turn when Bobbitt stated in August of this year that he had no access to the funds because McClure and D'Amico had stolen them from him. Sadly, Fox News just reported that the formerly praised Good Samaritans have squandered, it appears, more than $200,000 of the donations on a car and lavish vacations, which are definitely not beneficial to Bobbitt.
Even good deeds can turn sour if the heart behind the deed is not right. But we should not be surprised. Galatians warns us of the toll good deeds can take on anyone not prepared for the ongoing effort these deeds need in order to be sustained.
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Gal. 6:9, NIV)
Doing good takes effort. Anyone who has ever tasted temptation can attest to the difficulty of making the right choice when the wrong choice is so delicious, so decadent, so... tempting. Our human condition is one of a tenuous balance between good and evil, where the light coming from either side of the line is bright enough to blind us. Sometimes we don't even know we've stepped into the path of a train until it is too late. Paul sums it up well in Romans when he says "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.... For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing" (Romans 7:15 & 7:19, NIV). Even the Apostle Paul fell short of God's will, and God's plan—but not of God's grace.
Even though we are still in the midst of sorting out what happened to the money, the story of Johnny Bobbitt, Kate McClure, and Mark D'Amico is sad. It is sad because, like eggs on a brisk Sunday morning, the story started out so well, so uplifting, so fresh. Everyone involved was praised for doing the right thing and going a step beyond expectations for the betterment of others. But the same story almost a year later stands in stark contrast to its good start, with money missing and lawyers now taking the podiums.
In Luke, Jesus tells us of a priest, a Levite, and a Samaritan. Let this story of the Good Samaritan be our guide in today's tumultuous world:
"In reply Jesus said: 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have." (Luke 10:30-35, NIV)
The priest in this story is today's casual unbeliever, blessed with everything—and good for nothing. Satan works hard so some unbelievers can live the good life, with cars and houses and vacations. I can imagine this priest had plenty, but he crossed the street to avoid the naked, wounded man. I can also imagine his thought process, "I'm not risking myself for that sucker. What if it's a setup? What do I get out of it? He probably deserves his punishment."
The Levite in this story is today's casual Christian. He looked the part and even acted the part among the crowd, but in the desert between Jerusalem and Jericho, when nobody was watching, he couldn't be bothered to lift a finger and help a hurting man. It didn't matter the Levite is called to serve God without condition and the wounded, naked man was in need of service that the Levite was perfectly able to render. It also didn't matter the only one watching was God himself. I can imagine the Levite's thought process as well: "Sorry, no sir. I have to serve the showbread this week and there is no way I'm going to risk being unclean and miss my chance to serve! People will talk."
But the Samaritan, who had little in the way of possessions, and even less care for what people thought of him, stopped, rendered aid, and took care of the man until he could get well. The Samaritan in this story is a "good neighbor" in Jesus' parlance. He is today's true Christian.
So, tying back to McClure, Bobbitt and D'Amico, we do not know the whole story, and we would be remiss to assign blame without all the details, but we can quote the great Randy Travis when we say "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Maybe McClure and D'Amico set out on the right path to help Bobbitt and maybe they didn't realize when the response so overwhelmingly exceeded expectations that the light they were walking towards was a train. And maybe the missing money is somewhere waiting for legal protections to ensure Bobbitt gets the help and relief he needs from drugs before it can be administered.
But what we do know is while some good deeds start fresh, are served piping hot, and are enjoyed to the fullest, those not prepared with a Godly heart, steeped in His grace and served with a pinch of His mercy risk turning sour. Just as Timothy warned:
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:10-12, NIV)
So be a Good Samaritan—and ignore the world around you. Ignore the demands on you to "be Christian"—and just be a Christian. Avoid the trains of temptation in life's path by seeking God's face in everything and trusting his grace and mercy when this train comes anyway. And serve up plates of good deeds, prepared with the love of God and no other expectations. In the end, it's not McClure or D'Amico's responsibility to police Bobbitt's actions, it is God's.
– Mark Klages is an influential contributor, a former US Marine and a lifelong teacher who focuses on applying a Christian worldview to everyday events. Mark blogs at https://maklagesl3.wixsite.com/website under the title "God Provides where Hate Divides," with a heart to heal social, political, relational, and intellectual wounds through God's divine love and grace. Mark can also be found on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-klages-04b42511/.