The Second Mile

"And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." -Matthew 5:41

I've been doing some spring cleaning for a while here at the Casita, trying to tidy up and fix a few things that need attention. This past week I've been in the front bedroom moving furniture around, washing the walls and the woodwork. I also cleaned the windows and took down the curtains for a needed refresh. I typically put them right back up after they're washed and dried, but this time I decided to iron them first with a bit of lavender-sage linen spray I had on hand.

It wasn't really necessary. These little Battenburg lace tiers do pretty well fresh off the line. I doubt anyone would notice if they weren't ironed... or care. As long as they cover the windows enough to provide the necessary privacy, what difference does it make?

I suppose it doesn't matter much to anyone but me. It's my small way of saying to my family, "I'm so glad you're here. I love it when you come to stay a while and visit." It's my humble thank offering of love... my second mile.

My childhood pastor gave a sermon once on "Going the Second Mile." It was based on Jesus' admonition to His followers in His Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5. At the time of the Roman occupation of the Holy Land there was much resentment on the part of the Jews toward their Roman oppressors. A law allowed for a Roman soldier to press any Jew into service carrying his heavy pack the distance of a mile. This practice only heightened that resentment.

Jesus encouraged His followers to go not only the one mile, but to do more than what was required and go two. The Roman soldiers surely expected pushback. How it must have confused them and stirred all kinds of questions in their minds as to why someone would volunteer gladly to do more than what was demanded. I'm sure they wanted to know why. This gave Jesus' followers an opening to talk about their faith... about this Jesus they followed. Who knows what kind of effect that second mile witness had.

Jesus wasn't just talking to His followers back then. His words are for us today too... as valid and important now as they were when first spoken. As believers, we are to do what is expected... gladly, with joy and enthusiasm... and then do a little bit more. We don't do it to try and make others look bad, and we don't do it to place ourselves on a pedestal. We do it because Jesus implores us to do it... for Him... to further the Gospel... to be His witnesses.

I see this principle played out clearly in the massive lines at the drive-thru for Chick-fil-A. They operate under these same Christian directives. They get their food out fast. It's hot. The order is correct. That's everything you would and should expect from a "fast food" place, but they also do it with a smile and a parting, "My pleasure." That's what sets them apart. That... is their second mile.

It seems we are living in a culture that undervalues hard work. Employers often complain of having difficulty getting new hires to meet the minimum requirements, nevermind going above and beyond. The ones who do put in the effort are sometimes looked down on by co-workers for setting the bar higher than the rest of them care to jump.

Jesus asks us to be salt and light. Going the second mile at work, at school, in our neighborhoods, in our homes, with our families... is how we do that.

I heard a story once that was so compelling and beautiful it brought me to tears. Of course, now, I can't remember where I heard it! Most likely it came from a sermon illustration as well. I'd like to try recounting it here as it makes such a beautiful point about the power of that second mile. It follows:

There was a young soldier just starting his basic training. He had come from a small town, and this was his first time any distance away from home. He was a quiet young man, shy, but also very devout in his faith. Every evening before lights out he would kneel by the side of his bunk to say his prayers. This brought quite a bit of teasing and jeering from some of the other guys in his barracks. One fellow in particular, a bully by all acounts, took great pleasure in harassing this young man, but the young soldier never wavered. He continued every evening, kneeling to say his prayers.

One night, this bully hit his saturation point. He got so angry that he took one of his heavy boots, caked in mud from the morning's run, and hurled it at the young man, hitting him in the head and bloodying his temple. The young soldier did nothing. He just continued with his prayers. The next morning when the soldier who had thrown the boot awakened, he found his boots... cleaned and polished and set neatly together at the foot of his bunk.

That young soldier could have left things at, "no comment," but he chose to go above and beyond what was required. He let his faith speak in action. He chose to go the second mile. Can you imagine the shame in the heart of the soldier who had been so cruel? Can you imagine the effect of that second mile witness?

We are called to be salt and light. Going the second mile is one way we can do that.

The second mile isn't loud and boisterous. It's quiet and humble. It does without expecting anything in return. It does out of love. Love for God. Love for others. It manifests itself in the care with which we prepare our Sunday school lessons and in the way we decorate for women's retreats. It speaks through the words of encouragement in cards we send to those who are ill and grieving. It shows itself in the little garnishes we add to a meal headed to a neighbor family who just had a baby. And, yes, it's even exhibited in little white curtains ironed with lavender-sage linen spray.

The second mile isn't drudgery... it's opportunity. Opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting world. Opportunity to live life out loud as one giant "thank you" note to God for all the blessings He so lavishly showers upon us. It's an opportunity for those who look at us to see the face of Jesus reflected there, and it's an opportunity to change both the here and now... and the eternal.

Going the second mile is where the rubber of our faith meets the road... literally and figuratively. It is a privilege to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. He always went above and beyond for us, so let's put a smile on our faces and shoes on our feet. Opportunity awaits... and there are many "second" miles yet to travel.