I have just been to one of those house parties that sells ‘stuff’, plastic food storage boxes, greetings cards, cookware etc. Part of the sales talk was telling us punters how we too could make lots of money in one of these pyramid selling schemes. In these schemes the sales person searches out and enlists another five people to sell the same goods, taking a commission from their sales; in turn these new five people search out and enlist another five people each; each of them earning commission from their five people and the original person now earning commission from 25 people – and so it grows.
As I sat there I was reminded of a film recommended to me recently, I haven’t seen it yet but I am going to order a copy this weekend. It is called Pay It Forward and stars Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt. In the story an 11 year old child, Trevor, is given an assignment at school to devise a plan that will change the world for the world for the better. Trevor's plan is a charitable pyramid scheme, based on good deeds rather than profit. He calls his plan "Pay It Forward", which means the recipient of a favour does a favour for a third party rather than paying the favour back. Trevor does a favour for three people, asking each of them to "pay the favour forward" by doing favours for three other people, and so on, along a branching tree of good deeds. His first good deed is to let a homeless man named Jerry live in his garage, and Jerry pays the favour forward by doing car repairs for Trevor's mother.
How wonderful is that, a ‘not for profit’ pyramid scheme with absolutely no money involved: radical but truly beautiful. I love telling people how amazing they are, doing good things for people, loving people above and beyond their expectations. Not for my profit, but theirs; there is nothing nicer that passing on a smile or good word.
What kind of a world would we live in if everyone ‘paid it forward’ all the time?
I think it’s quite sad that today’s overly PC society tends dissuade people from doing good things for others. I don’t want to live in a world like that and as a follower of Jesus I have learnt that I don’t have to. Jesus teaches us to “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you” and ”Love your neighbor as yourself”. And then I encourage you all to “Pay It Forward”.
Better to be poor in pocket but rich in love x x x x x YOU ARE ALL AMAZING AND I LOVE YOU!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwHcS-XoYbc
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