A driving force, for Life & love, for the Love of life.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Matthew 7:12 / Luke 6:31)
Since I first heard them at West Downs School, Winchester (from 8 to 13) these words have been the anchor of my life, the very mobile of professional and personal commitments, for this is the law and the prophets, as continued Jesus of Nazareth.
It is hard to find any more practical teaching, on how to live one’s own life in society, than this simple, non-uniform principle, which allows for almost any manner of comportment, provided one is prepared to take oneself what one metes out on others. There is no risk of unhealthy co-dependency, domination or clientélisme in this advice.
Indeed, a similar quotation (Philippians 2:3-4), cited in introduction to an architectural project presentation, actually opened the door for my admittance to MIB (the MBA course at ENPC) such was Celia RUSSO’s appreciation of my underlying motivation.
Time putting us to the test, I can affirm that the proactive service of others is indeed the road to friendship with God, who expects us to look first to the needs of our own kind, however irksome the ‘neighbour’, in recognition of the divine image of mankind. That path often starts with a simple offer of hospitality.
A word of warning however : the dedicated service of others is definitely not a road to success and prosperity, as society conventionally rewards (and would have us believe a certain false gospel of European Reformation roots & North American broadcast) but a spiritually powerful means to transform us, to help achieve a greater mortal ressemblance with the immortal Christ.
Most often we stumble on our own idées fixes, the cropper stones of our own egos, education and values (including religious ones). Indeed, it is only to easy to come a cropper in contributing to the self-serving interests of so-called men & women of God.
Nevertheless, to be specific, here are a few minor miracles witnessed through the simple practice of altruism :
IG, a young Roma girl whose doubtful paternity and lack of corresponding papers was causing severe distress and inordinate complications to the family in their desire to live together. In 2013 I suggested a DNA test would resolve the issue. In 2014 I met in Freibrg-im-Breisgau the man who would, a year or so later arrange for that to happen there. On the girl’s 8th birthday (this fact demonstrates, to those familiar with the law and the prophets, the spiritual issue lurking behind the material manifestation) the DNA test took placed and would uphold the biological father’s claim.
C-AMM, a venerable white-haired African gentleman, one of whose surnames means in Lingala where my father lives, that on meeting in Nice, autumn 2011, had saluted à la manière africaine ‘Papa’. A former police force footballer, who had organised in 1997 a youth football championship, inviting he sponsorship of the spouses of the Heads of African States (7 turned up) and was looking to promote another such event, he instantly requested to meet with me. It became clear in the later meeting that I was not the profile he wished to engage in the promotion of his organisation. However, intrigued, I decided to check out his story on the internet as soon as I had a broadband connection. More or less at the time I had met him for the first time (ten days previously) a certain Biny had posted an alert looking for A-CMM, giving personal details. I then rang our man and gave him the details, facts he had not told me. Stunned, he asked how I knew them. Then I told him : Biny te cherche. His lost son, that he had not seen for 20 years and was desiring to trace, whose link I forwarded. A completely gut-wrenching story of divine grace.
RR, a young computer engineer lodging in my hosts’ house in Angondjé, Gabon, who had been looking for some time for a job in line with his training. Presently he was driving the school collection bus for his hosts. After submitting my UK tax declaration online from the internet café from which he would send his candidatures, we walked back home together. I said that the best job offers I ever had came after (as if in response to) individual, several day long fasts that I had undertaken in the past. As we walked in, I determine to do so immediately, having already announced ma prière est que tu trouves un travail avant que je ne rentre en France. The next day he followed suit. Within a few days he had been summoned for interview at the Presidential palace to join their computer team.
GD, a homeless individual, who cured herself from anorexia after we lent her the keys of our house for two weeks (theologically speaking : a work prepared in advance to be simply carried out when prompted). She reconnected with the pleasure of cooking for herself. Some years later she had her own apartment and invited me to lunch. I took FZ, still living in a Roma encampment, and another brother in the Lord. Perhaps the most poignant demonstration of God’s healing love I ever had the privilege to witness.
DJ, the exceptionally poor but immensely joyous and confident son of a Haïtian pastor, more or less lived on the premises of EEB Victor Chevreuil, 75012 Paris. A painter by trade, almost permanently out of work, but with a demanding wife and young child to satisfy, was desperate to earn. At our home there were a number of small building works to be done so I offered him that. On learning this, my architect employer FB proposed that he be taken on, immediately, to prepare reinforcement épingles for a concrete floor due to be poured to schedule, the mason having insufficient staff. DJ was so happy to do this, that FB soon proposed to him to do whatever painting job was to be done, at the price he had agreed with the client, suppliers of de luxe decoration textiles, whose showroom was rue de Furstemberg, Paris 6e. This is how the enterprise of the brothers Jacquet came into being.
Later, once practicing independently, they solicited me for more work. All I could offer was some minor demolitions for which I had no tender offer, on condition that they produce a PI insurance certificate. The work went ahead, the promised certificate never arrived. I was put out, with respect to my statutory duties. Some months later, DJ died of a heart attack. I learned the news on a Sunday morning. The following Monday an unsolicited cheque for 6.000Frs arrived from our common client, wishing to thank me for my work. I instinctively knew the money was not for me, but to go towards DJ’s funeral costs. So our client re-issued the cheque in favour of the deceased’s family.
During DJ’s funeral, the church premises were so packed that I realised there was a serious, unforeseen problem : non-compliance in the event of fire. As the congregation’s Treasurer and independent architect, my liability was doubly engaged. So I drew up plans to meet compliance requirements. Though the Baptist Federation, who own the property, agreed and signed the building permit application, the incumbent pastor (no longer in activity) was ferociously against raising or spending any money for building works. I had posted the plans on a wall for all to see. Declaring from the pulpit that any money should be pour les hommes de Dieu! he then challenged me to find the money myself. I shrugged my spiritual shoulders and handed the problem back to God. Within a week or two I received a call from two blind ladies, whom I used to bring home from church in my car, requesting to see me. They knew nothing of the issue, had clearly not seen the plans, and told me they wished to make a substantial gift, liquidating a savings plan thy had been contributing to for years, to meet the church’s urgent requirements. What might they be? I recounted the tale, and received their go-ahead to spend the money, which they transferred to a special account in my name (as fiduciary) in undertaking the necessary building works. Still the pastor resisted, finally however relinquishing his veto in the month of August, shortly before I would start on my MBA course. The works were undertaken in September, just before that happened.
I have many such stories to tell, and when I do people say : write a book ! This seems a more appropriate way to testify. As I remember them, I can update the post.
Related or parent pages :
Interventions By Date (reverse chronology)
opus incertum 