I want to share a bicycle story with you today. Recently I was watching a professional bicycle race called the Vuelta a Espana. It is one of the three big Grand Tour stage races of the pro circuit. During stage 2 of the Vuelta, two of the biggest names in the sport went head to head with less than two kilometers to go. After the stage, these two combatants were seen conversing. Wout van Aert was introducing his son to Tadej Pogacar. Tadej leaned down to talk with the 5 year old Georges Van Aert. Then, taking his glasses off, Tadej handed them to Georges. It was a pretty cool moment.
The next day, stage 3, was one of the craziest bike races I have ever seen. The riders started near the coast where the temperatures were hot, and they had to tactically navigate high winds. Leaving the coast, the route took them up into the high mountains. Clouds began to roll in. All of a sudden, the coverage shifted from the leaders at the front to the group in the back. The riders were seen scurrying for cover. The skies had opened up and hail was pelting the pro peloton. Soon, all the riders were ducking for cover. Television coverage showed a building where rider after rider entered. At the time, the commentators did not know what the building was. The following day we learned it was a hotel.
Wout van Aert was one of the early riders to find shelter in the hotel. The story came out the next day that someone, a guest of the hotel, I believe, offered him their towel so he could dry off and get warm. Wout is said to have reached up, removed his sunglasses and handed them to the person who gave him the towel as a gesture of thanksgiving. Sound familiar?
180 bike riders, soaking wet and cold, descended upon the hotel in that small town. I am surprised that all the riders could even be accommodated because the hotel did not look very large. Later we learned that the hotel had given out towels to the riders and made them hot tea and coffee.
In just two days, we were able to observe what turned into a culture of giving. Tadej Pogacar, the number one rider in the world, was humble and kind enough to give a pair of expensive biking glasses to Wout’s child. Wout then paid that forward giving his sunglasses to the kind person who offered him a towel. Then the hotel accommodated 180 non-paying guests. None of those riders will forget that day.
Human kindness and generosity pave the way to meaningful conversations. That kindness is an expression of God’s love. Even people who do not profess Christ still have a measure of him inside them because he is the life. That spark can be ignited and once done, it can become a wildfire which spreads to others. Every act of kindness, every generous gift blesses the heart of God.
Would you like to distinguish Christianity from every other religion in the earth? Creating and multiplying this culture of giving seems a glorious and fun way to do it. What if people said, “Those Christians sure are a generous lot.” If fierce competitors can show each other such grace and humility, then it becomes a heart-warming model for me. I can do that too.
I hope this little story from the Vuelta a Espana helped you feel hope in human kindness and hope for the world. It’s amazing what you can learn from the most surprising sources.
Do you have a story about kindness? Share it below.