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Sometimes when I'm so tired on the train and am sitting in a seat, I keep my head down. Not because I'm sleeping, but because I don't want to see a need. If there's an older man or woman or a person who looks sick or a mom with a baby strapped to her chest, I am going to give my seat to them. If I don't see the need, I'm not compelled to sacrifice for its satisfaction.

One of my biggest challenges with reading my Bible on the train is the fear that my actions may not line up with how Jesus rolls through the New Testament: patient, kind, generous, sacrificial... One of my greatest joys in reading on the train is not lining up with conventional Christianity. That means I'm going to give my seat to the 14 year old Latina who's having some menstrual cramps. She's not pregnant. She's not old. But she's human. And I'm human. And I'm going to lean into that human need. And because once a month, I need that too.

Why do we love clear cut rules? Why do we take what the Bible says about helping the poor and disenfranchised and limit our responsibility so greatly? When I was sixteen my parents told me I couldn't kiss the boy I liked. Of course I looked for any loopholes... "So... Not on the lips? Not for longer than...?" They said they wanted me to understand the heart behind the rule. I didn't understand the heart behind the rule and I worked those loopholes like Precious on a diet.

Maybe my sister-in-law has made me listen to India.Arie a few too many times, but I can say I understand the heart of things more clearly now. I get who Jesus means to include when he pushes us to love, serve, and live for others. I get that there are no exclusions. I get that he's not a God of loopholes and cop outs.

Oftentimes the people God calls us to give our seat to are right in front of us, we just can't see them very well with our heads down - can we? Don't cheat yourself out of a life well lived, hands dirty with the messiness of others' stories. Embrace the need and the giving just as much.