Ministry News
Ministering Grace Through a Parking Ticket
- Details
- Tuesday, 08 December 2009 17:22
Got an unpaid parking ticket? If you're in the Boise, Idaho, area on Dec. 12, you're in luck: A group of outreach-motivated followers of Christ will pay off your ticket for you—no strings attached.
The event, called the Grace Gift Parable, is the brainchild of a coalition of local pastors, leaders and business professional. It was first held in 2004 when believers gathered to pay off $7,500 in tickets. The following year, the Grace Gift Parable supplied free gasoline to complete strangers.
"It’s an example of grace,” says Dennis Mansfield, a former worker for nonprofit Mission Media, which helped organize the event. “Grace is unearned. It’s an unmerited favor. At this time of the season, we want to show God’s grace. In the process, we help families.”
According to Montie Ralstin Jr., pastor at Boise Valley Christian Communion, the outreach is a perfect opportunity to show people the forgiveness Christ offers, regardless of what mistakes people have made. “We want to help people understand, in a practical way, that even though we’ve all made mistakes, God’s grace and forgiveness is received, just by asking.”
The group of pastors present will pay off tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis until 1 p.m. or until $10,000 is spent, whichever comes first. [AP, 12/4/09]
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Comments
Boise Valley Christian Communion has taken the initiative to show the love of Christ in a very practical way and as Christians we should be thinking, wow, what can I do.
Please do not take this as being disrepectful to you, that was not my intention. I only wanted to point out that it is always easier to complain rather than do something ourselves.
The one thing I have learned in life is that no matter what you do, someone is going to find something wrong with what someone else is doing or come up with some alternative. Remember the lady with the alabaster box that washed Jesus's feet with her tears and anointed them with oil.
However, Judas Iscariot objected to her having been so profuse and extravagant in the abundance and costliness of the anointing, and murmured, saying that this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor.
Judas was not doing a thing for anybody, but as soon as someone else attempts to do something, here comes the complaints.
How about those who ride public transportation daily?
How about those barely surviving their month or barely feeding their family? Sure, this seems like the common guilt argument. However, I wonder how many people really appreciate the gesture and how many are left thinking how silly we are to do something like this. It sounds so pure, but to me it seems a bit on the silly side, and as believers we need to command respect as well as display compassion.
I am just glad to see Christians in the right light, doing something to serve others and showing the love of Christ.
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