There was this incident some years back, where I was in a hurry to buy some toiletries at a chinese medicine shop, and I rushed out after paying at the counter. Then, to my surprise, the shopkeeper ran after me calling my attention. I was a little nervous because I didn’t know what had gone wrong. Did I accidentally get something from the shop without paying? Did I pay the shopkeeper too little? Before he could speak, I tried to ask the shopkeeper what was the matter. He smiled and replied, "Sir, you forgot your change." Then, he handed to me a ten cent coin with a receipt.
When I reflect on this incident, I am reminded of today's Gospel: "The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own?"
The shopkeeper gave me the change out of his sense of honesty and not wanting me to be shortchanged, even if the amount involved seemed small. Honesty is part of our being Christian, yet I sometimes wonder whether some of us may have ignored doing small acts of honesty, like returning a borrowed pen, reporting lost objects or damaged items, paying the right price, asking for permission before using an item belonging to others, and many others. Are we able to remain steadfast in being honest, and do what is right for the glory of God?
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