The Avon Lady

Luke 6:27-36

In 1990, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp collaborated for the first time and brought us Edward Scissorhands, a movie about a vision-of-a-man who had scissors as hands and scars on his face. I saw a spot of it the other night, as I flipped through the TV stations, and thought about it as I read Luke 6:32-36 because, not only was Edward a bit rough looking (reminder: scissors/blades as hands), he was unloved and, at first glance, unlovable (reminder: scissors as hands, scars on the face).

Enter the Avon lady and a bottle of astringent.

Peg Boggs, the Avon lady, is a married mother of two whose sales are not much, if any. She lets herself into Edward's home, an old run-down mansion, hoping to find someone with whom she can make a sale or, at the very least, add to her collection of news/gossip. When she sees Edward, she mutters out, "What happened to you?" He replies, "I'm not finished." A few moments later, she's applying astringent to his scars to prevent infection and insisting he must leave with her, which he does and the plot thickens.

Luke 6:32-33 says, "If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same."

The Avon lady turned to leave. She saw the scissors. She saw the scars. She saw the awkward social cues. She saw the stinky, dirty, torn clothing. She saw the hair that was all funky and ... funky. The mansion was empty. Wealth was not evident. Networking wasn't evident. And she turned to leave. But she stopped. And she faced her fears of Edward. And her community and her family. She stopped and talked and listened and offered the only thing she had -- a strong astringent to prevent infection. Edward had nothing to give her! They had no connection. There was no planning, or thinking or preparing. It was a moment. The Avon lady lived big! And she took the moment and loved someone who didn't love her. And she did good for someone who had probably never done good for anyone.

Luke 6:35-36 says, "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your father is merciful."

Julie Johnson, Ridgecrest Baptist Church

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