UPDATE (3/31/08): Here's the link to listen to the Story Corps story "A Victim Treats His Mugger Right." 

There was an amazing story on National Public Radio's Story Corps this morning. Each week, a regular person tells a story about their life and it is broadcast on NPR and archived in the Library of Congress as a part of folk history. The story shared this week by a New Yorker commuting home from work on the subway was particular touching, and though he did not name drop Jesus or church, the gospel was alive in his actions.

Long story short, the man would get off a stop early on the subway each day to eat at his favorite diner. A couple of months ago the man got of the train and had a knife pointed at him by a young man, who promptly asked for his money. The man gave the boy his wallet, then as the boy was leaving called out to him, "Wait up!" The assailant turned around and the man offered him his coat as well. Shocked, the boy asked why and the man said, "if you need money so badly, I figured you might need my coat as well." The two struck up a conversation, and then the man offered to his assailant that he should join him at his favorite diner, so they walked out of the subway and went to grab a bite to eat. After the meal was over, the young man shared his astonishment at the whole ordeal, to which the man replied, "you have to pay for this meal, because you took my wallet---I'm broke!" The would-be robber paid for the meal and gave the wallet back.

What came next particularly touched me in the way it completely pacified and sanctified the whole situation. Once outside the diner, the man took a $20 out of his wallet and offered it to the young man, not as a gift, but as a purchase. "I know you need money," said the man, "so I want to buy your knife from you." And so the young man handed his knife over and took the money.

Jesus said, he who wants your shirt, give him your coat as well. This man with the soft heart certainly lived this gospel truth to its fullest.