Bricks and People

Before I went into full time ministry, I was employed in the banking industry. I worked in the Federal Reserve System. Iwas in the Charlotte, North Carolina branch. I began in the basement . . . literally! My first tasks were in what was called the “money department.” I started in the coin division located in the basement. Later I was moved to currency. I would receive money from the government or member banks. This money had to be verified and counted by folks trained to perform this task. Today, it is all automated. Some currency was returned into circulation; some was incinerated. This particular operation often resembled a factory more than a bank.

By the very nature of my job in those early days, I had to physically handle a lot of money in a day’s time. The responsibility obviously was very high. Many nights I would close up the safe with control of fifty to sixty million dollars. Remember now this was in 1974, one million sounded like so much more back then. Did you know that you can hold twenty thousand dollars in twenties in the palm of your hand?

You should not be too impressed with those numbers. When you work with that much money, and it is not yours, the rules are different. My friends would often joke with me concerning my control of that much cash. They would ask questions like: “How does it feel to hold that much money?” I would respond with statements like: “I don't know, I don't think of it as money. When it is not yours it might as well be bricks.”

Ministry can lead to a similar danger. In the course of any week I am prone to hear someone’s deepest pain. It may involve a broken marriage, the desire for a relationship, a serious illness or the loss of a job. I could also hear about their greatest joy with the healing of a loved one or the birth of a child. I must continually be on guard that I don't view this as “bricks.” These are individual people, each with their own joy or trial. I cannot allow myself to drift into the “I've heard this before,” syndrome. Neither can you.

Unless I miss my guess, at some time, someone has come to you for advice or possibly an opinion? (Now be careful, they may not want your opinion they may just want to talk, but that is the topic for another blog.) Has someone shared a personal struggle or private joy with you? That is a valued treasure! It is not a “brick” for you to discard. Take great care with their feelings. They have paid you a tremendous compliment by sharing that with you. It is a privilege to have someone share his or her pain because you have earned that trust. Likewise, take care with their joy. Don't become bitter that you don't have what they have. Share in it. Rejoice with them.

People are individuals. Each one loved enough by our Savior that He died for them. We should treat them no less than Christ would. Avoid the brick syndrome. We should respond in such manner as to let them know that we appreciate and respect them. They deserve that, and we are the winners in the long run.