What's the catch?

This morning, I woke up before the sun was even up. It sounds more dramatic than it is, because the sun doesn't come up until about 7:30 these days. But it's Saturday, so why, you ask, would I be up so early? The answer is, today was the day of the community outreach pancake breakfast that my small group and I planned. I woke up bright and early, waded through thick snowdrifts to my car, laboriously scraped and brushed the snow off of it for five minutes, and crawled precariously along my way on the poorly shoveled roads. I picked up Evan, and we arrived at Zehrs Stanley Park fifteen minutes later (after accidentally entering the parking garage on the 'exit' side and being sternly reprimanded by the lady in another car).

The community meeting room was all set up with a tables for sitting and eating, and a long table for coffee, juice, syrup, and utensils. Rob had made up the pancake batter, and the pans were hot and ready for some intensive pancake making. Seven of us from small group were present, ready and willing to serve, but not quite knowing what to expect.

The doors officially opened at 8 am for people to come in and have free pancakes. Traffic was slow, though, save for those times when groups of employees trickled in on their breaks for some breakfast. A handful of shoppers came by as well. They all appreciated the warm (and of course free) meal, and many asked what the occasion was. Did we have a cause? Were we accepting or expecting donations? Our response surprised and likely confused them: no, we just felt like planning something nice for the community.

I can't say I'm surprised that people were skeptical about this gesture. To most people, the idea of receiving something for nothing is foreign, or even unheard of. Cynics might ask, what is even the point of acting generously? So what if some people got some free pancakes? We could have been raising money for a charity or creating awareness for a cause.

Our small group wrestled with this dilemma as well. Although we realize the value in fundraising, we thought there would be a greater significance or impact in the community if it was just plain free, with no strings attached. In a world where "there's no such thing as a free lunch", something as simple as coffee, pancakes, and TLC would be enough to put people in a much brighter mood. They may have a better day just knowing that there are people in the world who care about them. Or they might start do nice things, since altruism is contagious. So they start to let other cars into their lanes, they yell at or about other people less, they argue less with their family, and so forth.

So in response to the question, what's the big deal about a pancake breakfast? The answer is, we tried to make this community a better place. Even if just for a day, or just for a morning. We'll never truly know how we might have affected anyone's life today, but to counter those who are convinced that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, the solution is probably easier than we think: Just do something nice for someone. Things will go much better for all of us when we stop expecting something in return for everything we do for others, and it has to start somewhere.