A Mountain of Blankets

The forecasted high for the week was barely above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a city where over a million people live in slums and on the streets, Martin and his Frontiers teammates knew that many families would be struggling to stay warm during this sudden cold snap.

Hundreds of men, women, and children in the city died every winter from exposure. People lit small fires in attempts to stay warm. But the accumulated smoke clung to the city and made matters worse by causing breathing problems for many.

Stepping into the office of his small business, Martin blew warm air into his cold hands and rubbed them together.

“Did any more people die from the cold last night?” he asked his office manager, a Muslim man named Asef.

Many families would be struggling to stay warm during this cold snap.

“Yes,” Asef replied. “People die every night when it’s this cold.”

“That shouldn’t happen,” said Martin. “We should do something about it.”

An awkward silence hung between the two men. It would have been easier to ignore the problem and go about their day’s work. But Martin had an idea.

Gathering Asef and his four other employees, Martin told them, “I’m going to buy some blankets and pass them out to families on the street tonight.”

Then he suggested they could join him. “You can pool some money if you’d like to buy more blankets. Meet me here at 9:00 p.m. And bring your children so they can see and help.”

In Islam, Asef and the other men had been taught that by doing good they could earn religious merit and improve their chances of getting into heaven.

But Martin regularly shared a different message with them—that salvation is a free gift of grace through Jesus Christ. And through a practical act of service, Martin hoped to help each man connect that gift of grace with God’s heart of compassion for the poorest of the poor.

In Islam, Asef and the other men had been taught that by doing good they could earn religious merit.

All five employees showed up that evening and piled into Martin’s van. With his employees’ kids sitting on top of a mountain of blankets, they drove along the city streets. They gave out blankets wherever they saw people shivering in the cold—like the family of eight huddling under a threadbare sheet.

The next day at work they talked about the experience of handing out blankets. One man mentioned the spiritual merit he believed he had gained by serving others.

“Would you still have shown compassion toward them if there was no merit in it?” Martin asked.

God has shown grace on us through Jesus Christ, Martin shared. For that reason, His followers seek to extend His compassion toward others. A rich conversation followed as they discussed what the Bible says about grace and compassion.