I have to start this by telling you that I was thinking about the prompt, remembering my history of what I call "good sneaks", while surfing facebook - and an old friend shared a post that is also timed for today, prompting people to say what evil prank they're proudest of. Timing is so fascinating. You see, my history of doing "good sneaks" was me finding a way of keeping my love of strategy, plots, and sneakiness safely within ethical bounds.
I snuck money INTO pockets, that kind of thing, before it was so easy to anonymously take care of something - but my proudest "good sneak" was for friends whose mailbox had been "batted" - smashed with a baseball bat as a prank. I bought one as close as I could find to theirs, got it all labeled with name and number, and installed it in the dead of night.
This, then, was my context for reading Matthew 6 as a teen. I knew, viscerally, the thrill of watching someone suddenly able to Do The Thing when they hadn't had the money, or find the thing they'd really wanted in their backpack, or such. It still delights me. Honestly, having someone to thank makes for an awkward situation all around.
I don't think my attitude about this has changed much in the decades. I completely agree that if you make a show of your righteousness or generosity, you're playing to the audience and their response is exactly the reward you want. I don't want that reward. It's tin not silver. I want the reward of feeling like I HELPED, that I made something better.
With all of that in mind, no I'm *not* going to spoil my good sneaks by *tellin'* on myself!
— FriarMir
I snuck money INTO pockets, that kind of thing, before it was so easy to anonymously take care of something - but my proudest "good sneak" was for friends whose mailbox had been "batted" - smashed with a baseball bat as a prank. I bought one as close as I could find to theirs, got it all labeled with name and number, and installed it in the dead of night.
This, then, was my context for reading Matthew 6 as a teen. I knew, viscerally, the thrill of watching someone suddenly able to Do The Thing when they hadn't had the money, or find the thing they'd really wanted in their backpack, or such. It still delights me. Honestly, having someone to thank makes for an awkward situation all around.
I don't think my attitude about this has changed much in the decades. I completely agree that if you make a show of your righteousness or generosity, you're playing to the audience and their response is exactly the reward you want. I don't want that reward. It's tin not silver. I want the reward of feeling like I HELPED, that I made something better.
With all of that in mind, no I'm *not* going to spoil my good sneaks by *tellin'* on myself!
— FriarMir
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