A Lesson From Coke...

It was Sunday morning, after our 1st Haitian church experience. Actually, it was probably approaching afternoon - they do church from 7 to 11...in an open-air tent-church...

After the church service, one of the pastors brought out the stash of good stuff to share w/ us Americans...some cold 1-liter bottles Coca-Cola Classic and 7-Up (sweetened w/ sugar cane). In Haiti, they don't bring a Starbucks or bottles of water to church. A cold Coke right then, seemed like a reward from Heaven. BUT I had this 6-7 yr old'ish boy on my shoulders...

...and this super-nice 11-year-old'ish, Jean, at my side...

I had bonded w/ Jean the day before, and after church on this day. He is a super-polite and kind kid. Both Saturday and Sunday he just wanted to be by me, as long as I had my arm around him or he was holding my hand.

I'm sure Jean, or the little guy on my shoulders, didn't drink many sips of soda, let alone a liter of it. I asked the pastor if I could share it w/ the kids. He said yes, but that I'd get mobbed if the kids saw me sharing it.

So I grabbed a plastic cup and took the 2 boys outside the church, on the other side of the wall (eh-hem, sorry, other side of the tarp, I mean). I filled the cup with Coke and handed it to my buddy, Jean. Without hesitation, he immediately reached up to the boy on my shoulders and handed him the cup-full of Coke. That boy drank a sip and handed it back to Jean. Another boy must have seen us, and walked up at that moment. Again, WITHOUT HESITATION, Jean, took the cup back, turned and gave it to the boy who had just walked up. That kid drank a sip, and handed it back to Jean, who finished the rest. They all said "mesi" (thank you). It was a perfect display of sharing, each respectfully only drinking their 1/3 of the Coke, caring for each other even with just a cup of soda. It speaks loudly, as to the character they are developing from the few adults they have in their lives.

They are living the "community" that was lived-out in Acts 2:42-47. Stop and read that link, it is how life was meant to be. We're usually too busy to realize it...so take a second, right now.

That Coke-sharing moment embodies the spirit of these kids. In their world of having nothing, "stuff"-wise, they really have everything, spirit-wise. The importance of stuff can really be deceptive.

Isn't it interesting who, and what, can change our perspective, when we're paying enough attention?