Wilkerson was on the street witnessing to a gang member one day, when the guy looked down at David's feet and said something about his shoes and how nice they were. His own shoes were worn out, with holes and worn soles. Without a moment's hesitation, Wilkerson took his shoes off, handed them to the gang member, and prayed for him. He then left, walking down the streets in his socks, much to the amusement of those passing him by.
I was listening to a podcast on Art of Manliness the other day and I was reminded of this story about Wilkerson. The guest on the podcast had his own account of how the story of a man giving away his shoes to another greatly impacted his life. In this case, it was a doctor who gave his shoes to a homeless man in the ER, and then worked his whole shift and later went out to his car in the parking lot only in his socks.
Thinking of these two stories, I have come to the conclusion that we ought to give away our shoes more than we do. Maybe not physically give away our shoes to strangers, but symbolically do so by serving others and meeting their needs, whatever they may be. When we give a cold drink to a thirsty person, we are giving away our shoes. When we give food to a homeless man on the street, we are giving away our shoes. When we help someone across the street, open the door for a stranger, help someone in the store get something from the shelf, more shoes are given away.
Maybe it's something as simple as picking up trash on the street or smiling at a stranger. But it's obviously something we need to do. It's something that makes us better and shares Christ's love to others in a real and tangible way. Consider how you might serve someone in this way this week. Consider doing intentional acts of kindness in extravagant ways, ways that require sacrifice on your part.
How can we intentionally give our shoes away this week?
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