I had an umbrella in my office, which I use on rainy days to get to and from class. I went and got it and gave it to a female graduate student. She was confused about why I was giving it to her, rather than using it for myself. She tried to give it back, but I insisted she use it. "Why are you giving this to me?" she asked, "You're going to get wet."
I just said, "Don't worry about it. I want you to use it." She did.
I didn't share with the student my answer to her question, but I had one. When she asked me why I was giving her my umbrella the answer flashed in my mind, these exact words:
"I'm giving you this umbrella because the Christian life is one continuous act of charity."
Again, I didn't say this out-loud. And there's a lot of virtue-signaling in sharing this story will you. But I'm sharing this because of that line that flashed through my mind. I didn't conjure it up or think about it. It came, rather, as in interruption in my mind. It didn't feel like it was my thought. It felt more like a a gift.
And the thought has haunted me ever since, "the Christian life is one continuous act of charity."
