Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions. 

Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea.  The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning!  May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”

The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”

The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”

What do I mean when I ask if you have a starfish?

A starfish is any person who is in great need. Like the starfish in the story above, they are in a state of such urgent need that unless someone steps in to help them, something terrible will happen to them. They are in need of you to help because trying to get help from government agencies is an exercise in frustration, incompetence, and stupidity on a massive scale. Not to mention the screaming level of outright corruption that happens when you place a politician near a pile of money! No, your tax dollars are not going to the poor. They are buying Mercedes and Lexus cars for the rich and entitled. I read somewhere (Google has failed to produce the quote for me) that of every dollar that is earmarked for government “charity,” about twenty-six cents actually is spent on the poor. The rest is spent on bureaucracy and corruption.

My point is that Christ Jesus did not tell us to direct the poor and needy to the nearest government agency. He told us to do something about it – that’s you and me! In fact, He told us in a manner that is quite challenging. Jesus said He would make His disciples fishers of men. I say He asks us to be starfishers. You are to find a starfish and when you do – care for it!

This is where the rubber meets the road in our Christian lives. I am not talking about rolling down your window and giving a dollar to the beggar standing at the streetlight, then driving away feeling all noble about your good deed. John the Baptist, a messenger sent from God, said if we have two cloaks we are to give one to the poor – in the teaching of Luke 3: 11 a demand to give half of what you own! When Zacchaeus came down from the sycamore tree and said: “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.” Jesus didn’t say, “Awwwww….that’s okay. You don’t have to do that.” No, He commended Zacchaeus and said: “today salvation has come to this household.”  The Bible teaches that salvation is directly linked to how we treat the starfish God puts in our lives as we walk the beach of our life’s journey. (Matthew 25: 31-46)  

What Jesus demands of those who would be His disciples is total commitment to the good of others – aka love!  Love is not some warm, fuzzy feeling you get looking at something  you want or that pleases you, whether it be person or object. Love is rolling up your sleeves and wading into the fray, and sometimes outright filth, of life for the benefit of another person – often at great expense to your own comfort and well-being. But I warn you, the cost of such discipleship is high. Starfish have a way of being very demanding on your time, talent, and treasure.

You will find that when you begin to really help someone who is in need, the needs never seem to stop. It is easier to stay home and watch a baseball game – and excuses for this are easy also – than to get off the couch and go to the nursing home you promised God you would visit. You will get exasperated with from a man who is always needing money from you. You know that if you gave him a dollar in the morning, would be ten dollars in debt by the end of the day. He is terrible with money, down on his luck, and it is you to whom he keeps coming with his hand out. When you meet a paralyzed woman who needs a friend to talk to and constantly asks you to come visit, after about the twentieth time, you will find yourself fraying around the edges.  You want to spend the afternoon playing Candy Crush and she is lonely and has called again. After the tenth time in a month you have been asked to watch the children of the lady who lives across town because she can’t afford a babysitter and has to go to her second job so she doesn’t get evicted, you will become irritated. It’s just too much!

Then, when you are done, you will go home, sit on your couch, and feel ashamed of yourself. You are needed by people who are not just on the margins of life, they have slipped over, and you are the last line of defense before they utterly crash and burn. Think of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She saw starfish everywhere, and as fast and lovingly as she could, she ministered to their needs. Think of Fr. Damian of Molokai, who saw the lepers of that island and, moved by the love of God, went to live with them, minister to them, and eventually die from contracting leprosy. Such saints, and so many more ordinary folks, are shining lights of God’s love in a dark world. I personally think of  Sue and Vern Rudy,  who have given their life savings and everything they have to minister to the poor in Harrisburg PA. Or of Randy and Evelyn James, who operate a shelter for women with problem pregnancies in central  Virginia.

Starfish come in a variety of sizes. Small ones, like the girl who has been at cashier for eight hours, has been insulted by three customers, and needs your friendly smile and word of encouragement, to big ones – the homeless man who needs you to pony up $500 to pay for a dentist to fix his rotting teeth because he can’t get help from our incompetent government. Little starfish – big starfish. Look to be the difference in someone’s life.

Lent is soon upon us. Our faith calls us to give alms during Lent. Perhaps you could start by writing a check to Silence of Mary Home or Paul Stefan Foundation. I have worked as a volunteer with both of them and I assure you, from close personal contact, the money will be used prudently to help those in need.

Then go out and keep a sharp eye out for your very own personal starfish, someone who needs more than just a quick monetary fix from you. In a cold world, they need your warm friendship. In a world that passes them by, they need you to stop and be there for them until they are safe and sound. I guarantee you if you do so with an open heart of love, God will bring you your very own, personal starfish to care for.