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Where Are the Boots? The Danger of Losing the Wonder This Holiday Season

By December 12, 2012December 12th, 2022Culture, Faith

This is a guest post by my friend Margaret Feinberg. Margaret (www.margaretfeinberg.com) is author of Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God which releases on Christmas Day. To learn more about her new book and the incredible offer available, check out www.margaretfeinberg.com/wonderstruck.

Where Are the Boots? The Danger of Losing the Wonder This Holiday Season

Less than a month ago, a New York Times police officer Lawrence DiPrimo left us wonderstruck by an act of kindness when Jennifer Foster, a tourist from Florence, Arizona, snapped a photo of a member of NYPD keeling down to give a homeless man a pair of boots on a frigid night.

The officer didn’t just hand the man a $100 pair of Skechers but took the time to slip socks and new boots on the man’s blistered feet—a scene reminiscent of John 13:1-17.

The photo was posted on Facebook and soon went viral with more than 20,000 comments. The story was the perfect reminder during the holiday season of the power of kindness, generosity, and love.

But overnight the homeless man reached an unwelcome celebrity status. Identified as Jeffrey Hillman, he was baffled and confused by all the attention telling the New York Times, “I was put on YouTube, I was put on everything without permission. What do I get? This went around the world, and I want a piece of the pie.”

No sooner had Hillman received the shoes than news sources reported he was running around barefoot again. Jeffery claimed that the shoes were too valuable and dangerous to wear so he hid them. Some online snipers accused Hillman of selling shoes for a “bump”.

Reporters then uncovered that Hillman wasn’t homeless, but had an apartment paid for by a federal agency. With more details of Hillman’s life exposed, the wondrous story soon lost its news cycle luster leaving people asking, “Where are the boots?”

Reflecting on this current story, I was drawn back to an ancient one.

In John 12, Mary breaks all of the social cues as well an alabaster jar filled with very costly perfume, and anoints the feet of Jesus, wiping his feet with her hair.

The pundits soon question the act. “Why has the perfume been wasted? It could have been sold and the money given to the poor?”

Mary is met with contempt for her extravagance. For Mary, things didn’t turn out like she expected. In a brief moment of self-awareness, she may have even second-guessed her decision, What have I done?

I don’t know if DiPrimo ever second-guessed his actions, but I wouldn’t be surprised. In these kinds of situations, almost anyone would.

But whatever the details on Hillman’s life, we must not lose our ability to be
wonderstruck by this random act of kindness.

The danger is that if we focus too much attention on the fact Jeffrey Hillman isn’t technically homeless and he doesn’t feel safe wearing the shoes, then the police officers extravagant generosity is reduced to a foolish act. Why was the money not given to a shelter instead?

But if we focus on the act of selflessly giving—purchasing and tenderly placing socks and shoes on someone in need—we begin to see the heart and hands of Christ. We awaken to the wonder that the person giving and serving this holiday season could be you and I. We begin to answer the invitation to live wonderstruck.

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Ron Edmondson

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Join the discussion 9 Comments

  • Mary is met with contempt for her extravagance. For Mary, things didn’t turn out like she expected.

  • Beck Gambill says:

    Wow I needed to hear that! I recently traveled to Serbia to visit a mental institution. I had heard rumors of poor conditions and I felt compelled to see for myself. The answer was complicated, but the need is that of all humanity. I have, since returning, questioned spending thousands of dollars to show up, just to touch another person, and I question how to respond in the long term to their obvious needs. But I want my heart to bend and respond to people's hurts, regardless of what they do with the gift or even if they deserve it. Thank you for that clarity Margaret! (By the way a few of us in my church are starting your Bible study this January!)

    • ronedmondson says:

      Awesome comment.

    • margaretfeinberg says:

      Beck, wow. Don't hear of many traveling to Serbia. Especially to visit mental institutions. May all our hearts "bend and respond to people's hurts"!

      That's great! Would love to hear what your thoughts once you are finished with the study

  • bryankr
    Twitter:
    says:

    I have to admit, I am one that would wonder if the gift had been wasted. Maybe this writer is right, maybe we are overthinking what happened. We didn't have the kind of reaction we expected, therefore, it must be wrong. The act was done from his heart, and is this not what God is looking at when determining our acts? Which is to say, the general public that squandered the gift, not the man in the gutter. By searching him out, by trying to determine whether ot not he was worthy of the act. It seems the Church has a LOT of work to do!