Why do you do it?

Every body's doing it.

They are -- haven't you noticed? There are TV commercials about it. Schools are teaching about it. Even Disney is in on the act. Everybody is doing it.

Everyone is doing good works these days. There's a series of TV commercials showing one person doing a random act of kindness followed by the person who received the good will following suit and so on. Schools are making "service hours" a requirement for graduation. And, now, Disney is offering free admission to people who log hours with particular non-profit organizations. Every body is doing good works these days.

And I'm all for it. This wave of service that's sweeping the nation is good for us. It can only make the world better. With that in mind, I hope you don't misunderstand the question that all this do-gooding raises in me: why do you do good works? As a person of faith, why do you do good works?

For me, I don't really care that I could get a free day at Disney. Being a person of faith in God, I do good works because that's what God calls me to do.

Being a person who tries to follow in the footsteps of Jesus the Christ, I do good works because I want to create the kind of community around me that Christ created around him.

Being a person who knows the presence of the Holy Spirit, I do good works because then, in those moments when I'm uncomfortable with the sights, smells and experiences of the poor, lonely, sick and marginalized, I know that I am not alone. The Holy Spirit will carry me through.

I do it because, in the words of The Message, "Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?"

Why do you do it?