The Amazing Race

I can't find an exact clip, but pay attention between the 7:00 and 8:00 mark here.


I will be one of the first to say that I hate reality television. People with no talent can become superstars, and captivate the American, and even the world audience. However, I do enjoy two particular reality shows. The first one being Hell's Kitchen, and the other being the Amazing Race.


I like Hell's Kitchen for one reason and one reason only: It's extremely funny. I understand that Chef Gordon Ramsay can be extremely insulting to the contestants. That's the point. On the other hand, the contestants have most undoubtedly seen the show in the past, and should know exactly what they are getting into. The other reality show I watch consistently is the Amazing Race. This show profiles 11 teams of two racing around the world in the hope of winning one million dollars at the end of it. Along the way, there are different pit stops, and teams get eliminated for being last. It takes skill, a little bit of savvy, and some luck, to win this competition.

This past Sunday, the Amazing Race took all of the teams, spare the one that had been eliminated, to the city of Accra in Ghana. In case you are not aware, the poverty in this city is incredible. For this section of the race, CBS (the network that airs the show) GAVE each team $137 (that's almost 200 Ghanaian Cedis for those keeping track at home) to help them. During this portion of the race, the contestants had to pass through some crowded streets. Three teams were approached by some locals begging for money, one asking for five dollars. One of the teams consisted of two recent Ivy League graduates, another of a father/daughter team, the daughter being Ms. Kentucky, and a mother/daughter team that just reunited after the daughter was put up for adoption shortly after birth 21 years earlier. The Ivy League team tried to ignore the beggar, the father/daughter team told the beggar that they had no money. The mother/daughter team was the only one to give the beggar money. 


The teams are given almost everything they need to complete this race. The airline flights are paid for, they are fed during rest periods between legs of the race. In certain situations, they are even given transportation. For the things that are not given to them, they get money to pay for them, which includes cab fare, and maybe gasoline for vehicles provided. Given these facts, it intrigues me that two of the three teams showed would actively avoid giving someone five dollars, out of the $137 that was provided to them for this leg, and what they had leftover from the last one.


This is a perfect example of Jesus' teaching about compassion. First off, when you look at the life of Jesus, you will notice that the things that He did were out of love for us, and not for Himself. He calls all of us to do the same as well. In fact, in Matthew 22:39 Jesus tells us that loving our neighbors as ourselves is one of the most important commandments of all. I would think it safe to say that the beggar in this situation is someone that Jesus would consider as a neighbor.


For those who are wondering, the team that gave the money to the beggar, Andie and Jenna, were eliminated at the end of that leg of the race. This goes to prove another Biblical principle, that while Jesus does promise rewards to those who put their faith in Him and live as He did, will be rewarded (eternal life), just not necessarily when, where, and how it is most convenient for them.


Amen.