When Studs Terkel, described by Donna Seaman as “oral historian, writer of conscience and raconteur-on-a-mission,” died on Halloween in 2008, he left a tall stack of books behind him. None affected me more than one called Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do. The book led me to think not only about all the jobs I have worked in my life but also about all the people whose jobs make life in my small town work.
The day I moved to Clarkesville, I walked from the church to the post office, where I came up a quarter short on a book of stamps. “Don’t worry,” the pretty blond clerk behind the counter said. “Just bring it back before we close at five.” Her nametag said “Elaine.” When I brought the quarter back, I told her my name but she already knew it. Eighteen years later, I have learned to stand patiently in line as Elaine greets her customers by name.
Last week a white-haired woman lingered at the counter, speaking of things that had nothing to do with the U.S. Mail. There were six of us behind her, but Elaine never rushed her, never stopped smiling. When my turn finally came I raised my eyebrows as I slid my package across the counter.
“She lost someone close to her a while back,” Elaine said in a low voice so only I could hear her, “but I don’t mind. I like hearing the stories. Plus, I learned a long time ago that people aren’t going to stop talking until they have said what they want to say.”
These are nice stories about nice people being nice. I liked them.
Being nice isn’t enough. The sad truth is, none of us can be nice enough, no matter how hard we try or how long we try, our niceness falls short of the perfection of God.
The penalty for not being nice enough is spiritual death.
Since we can’t be nice enough, God was nice for us and paid that penalty on our behalf.
Only Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross can make our lack of perfect niceness OK with God. He became our niceness for the times when we faulter.
That is the Good News! Accept God’s niceness into your heart, and you will live forever. It isn’t hard. The Bible says “that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
If you haven’t accepted God’s niceness, what are you waiting for?