The eCrozier

Love has no mind. It can’t spell unkind
– The Legendary John Prine from his song, Aimless Love

The Latin term quid pro quo is much in the news these days. It seems to involve, among other things, alleged shady dealings in Ukraine by, at least in one case, a man who owns a Black Sea resort called “Mafia Rave.” As I read the news about Ukraine it seems like I’ve stepped into an Elmore Leonard novel. His books always seem to have less-than-ethical men in warm-up suits with gold chains around their necks. But I digress. Quid pro quo in Latin literally means “this for that.”

There’s nothing inherently wrong with a quid pro quo. For example, we have a quid pro quo every time we purchase something. We give money (quid) for the thing (quo) we purchase. It’s an expected transaction. But quid pro quo works ethically only when there are clear rules and laws preventing abuse by coercion, fraud, or misrepresentation. That’s why the Ukraine story is so problematic. Pro bono is the opposite of quid pro quo. Pro bono literally means “for good.” It means something one does with no expectation for reward or reciprocity. It’s done simply because the doer wants to do something good for goodness’s sake. In the legal world, it often refers to attorneys who don’t charge any fee for their services.

So, life is full of quid pro quo and, because we’re not always generous humans, a bit less full of pro bono. Quid pro quo assumes that the quid is roughly worth the quo, so to speak. If it isn’t, then we’ll feel victimized in some way. We’re very good at this sort of victimized score keeping. We learn it at an early age. Just try giving two small children each a different number of cookies as a reward after they’ve put away their toys and wait for the reaction. Adults (AKA, grown-up children?) get all worked up over quid pro quo as well, especially at Christmas time. What happens when we get an unexpected gift from someone for whom we didn’t get a gift, and worse-case scenario, we really like the gift they gave us? Well, we’re absolutely horrified that we didn’t get them something of equal or greater value. We didn’t quo their quid and we feel obligated to buy them something to even things out. Heaven forbid, we ever be in their debt!

Many assume God operates in relation to us on a quid pro quo basis. They assume that because they believe God is just like us. We all in our own way want to create God in our own image. But God will have none of that. God isn’t like us (thank God), at least the God we meet in the person of Jesus Christ. Parenthetically, Jesus probably wouldn’t own a resort called “Mafia Rove,” but he’d love the guys who did even though they’re probably not all that lovable. You see, on the cross, Jesus doesn’t keep score. He doesn’t demand our quid for his quo. Jesus loves us pro bono with no expectations that when we get our act together then we’ll reciprocate. His love has “no mind” (thanks, Mr. Prine) in the sense that it’s not calculated to go just to the deserving. His love is so kind (“it can’t spell unkind”) that it’s scattered indiscriminately (the Parable of the Sower) even among the thorny characters of the Ukraine scandal.

+Scott