The other night, in a scramble, I managed to get to Target no more than twenty minutes before their closing. As I pulled into the parking lot I noticed an employee walking toward a group of shopping carts; surely he must’ve pulled the shorter straw that evening.

As I was making my way to park I noticed some trash (three cups and one straw, to be exact) on the ground in the direction this employee was heading. I moved my car around the garbage as I thought he would reach down and pick it up. He did not. In fact, he looked down, stepped right over it and continued on toward the carts.

I kind of smirked, I must admit, as I asked myself if I would have done the same thing. After all, the store was closing in a short amount of time and this employee probably worked a long shift, spending hours of the day on his feet. But regardless of his reasoning, this simple act revealed a portion of this man’s weakness and character.

Is that a harsh statement? Probably. Was it another employee’s specific duty to pick up the trash in the parking lot? Probably so. But the truth is, this employee isn’t just getting paid for specific tasks, he is also responsible for representing the culture and the appearance of a specific organization. He is one part, of many, that makes up a larger body.

I’m not picking on this particular employee. For all I know, he could be the best employee the store has to offer. Maybe I happened to catch him during a moment of his weakness. But that, too, is a problem.

We, as followers of Jesus, are also part of a larger picture. We are entrusted to represent the culture and appearance of the organization, if you will, of Jesus – the body of Christ. Once we realize that even though we hold specific tasks, gifts, we still need to observe our surroundings – picking up the trash and garbage that others leave behind.

The gospel of Jesus is delicate and, though it has the ability to pierce even the sharpest material, we – a despicable group of individuals surviving only by God’s abundant grace – have been given the unique and unworthy responsibility of presenting it to a lost and dying world.

The Defiance of Natalia Dmytruk

In late November 2004, Viktor Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovych were the two leading candidates in Ukraine’s heated presidential election. Authorities, however, had rigged official votes to swing Yanukovych as the president, although Yushchenko was clearly the winner.

Here is an excerpt from a Washington Post article that featured Natalia Dmytruk, a television sign language interpreter, whose small act of righteous defiance helped advance Ukraine’s Orange Revolution:

On Nov. 25, she walked into her studio for the 11 a.m. broadcast. “I was sure I would tell people the truth that day,” she said. “I just felt this was the moment to do it.”

Under her long silk sleeve, she had tied an orange ribbon to her wrist, the color of the opposition and a powerful symbol in what would become known as the Orange Revolution. She knew that when she raised her arm, the ribbon would show.

The newscaster was reading the officially scripted text about the results of the election, and Dmytruk was signing along. But then, “I was not listening anymore,” she said.

In her own daring protest, she signed: “I am addressing everybody who is deaf in the Ukraine. Our president is Victor Yushchenko. Do not trust the results of the central election committee. They are all lies. … And I am very ashamed to translate such lies to you. Maybe you will see me again.” she concluded, hinting at what fate might await her. She then continued signing the rest of officially scripted news.

“My legs became so heavy. I was terribly scared,” she said.

Dmytruk’s live silent signal helped spread the news, and more people began spilling into the streets to contest the vote. She returned to work to give the 3 p.m. news, but was not admonished by her superiors. When she finished, she went into the technicians’ studio and told them what she had done. They hugged her all at once. “You are terrific, Natalia,” she said they told her.

Natalia Dmytruk was caught in the act of picking up the trash and garbage that others were leaving behind. That act, among others, led to a re-election and the rightful candidate, Yushchenko, was declared the winner.

Let us too, as believers of Jesus, follow that same pattern, picking up the pieces of those who have distorted the truth of the gospel. Let’s take care of the little things, the small stuff that seems so unimportant, because people are watching. Let’s use our position and our voice, or lack thereof, and present a culture and an appearance that is pleasing to God.

Paul mentioned in his letter to the people of Thessalonica that not only did they do their task of preaching the gospel, they also “worked night and day in order not to be a burden” to those they were ministering to – going above and beyond their specific call of duty.

We have a responsibility to do the same; fulfilling our call and going above and beyond and live, as Paul instructed Timothy, to “do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

It’s a worthy responsibility for such an unworthy people. And it’s an honor.

How delicate are you concerning the gospel of Jesus?