Baby Steps in Virtue

Inspired by some posts over at Conversion Diary (like this and this), I've been thinking a lot lately about showing God's love to others, and loving others as He loves me. It makes for a lot of nice thinking, but I haven't found much opportunity to put it into practice in my actions yet.

This morning, I had to make an important phone call - that couldn't be made while I was at work - to an office that opened at 8:30. I hoped to get to 9 am Mass, but even though I dialed right at 8:30, it was 8:53 by the time I got off the phone - and I wasn't dressed yet. I threw my clothes on and ran out the door. I wouldn't say I was speeding, per se, but I wasn't quite abiding by the 30 mph speed limit as I drove to church downtown. And then, not two blocks from my house, a driver in a white car pulled out right in front of me and proceeded to *not* accelerate. We did a cool 25 for as long as I was behind him.

When he'd pulled out, since I'd been going just a bit faster than 25, I ended up right on his tail. In my impatience to get to church, my impulse was not to step on the brake, but to stay there. It took a minute, but eventually, I told myself, "Show God's love to this person by not tailgating him."

The irony was quite apparent. I was on my way to church, and it took an internal lecture get me to stop being a jerk to someone. And the closest I can get to reflecting God's love towards others is to reluctantly try to stop being a jerk. Not tailgating is basic driving etiquette, not to mention safety. It's not quite a paradigm of Christian charity.

I think I still need a lot of work.