One man sleeps on the corner of a busy intersection. Another sits in the beating heat of the sun waiting for some form of companionship that will while away the day. One is an alcaholic that drinks away money given to him from a relative that he does not know. The other one knows his family by memory but not by sight. In fact, his vision is slowly dying as is his friend one block away from him, lying in a fetal position encased in the misleading warmth of his alcaholic euphoria. One tries to remember, while the other tries to forget.
Trying to work within this environment is extremely difficult. The first is that the gentleman are double my age. How does one try and challenge them on life's issues when they have seen and lived more than I have. The other problem is that the alcahol and the heat affects the thought process and I have had to listen to stories from these men countless times, almost word for word. These are lonely men and should not be on the streets, living in memories of past love and stability.
How many of us live like that, living life between trying to remember and trying to forget? These homeless men, calling the streets their own is unfair, unloving and empty of family. What can we do about this, to help them to wake up to something worth living for, worth living given a view of what hope is. And therefore not allowing their past or whatever they fear for the future to shroud their lives. We can be catalysts in helping this to help them, to help them in any way, be it a short conversation to a big smile as you pass them by. These are the people we are called to love, and as Christmas is already being advertised around all the malls we go to - can we not go one step further; and not advertise Jesus but to give as He would have, to love as we would have, and to hope as he would have.
This is what it means to be His hands and feet. And what a wonderful time of the year to really show this out. Christmas should not be the only time we do this, but if you have not yet done this then this is a beautiful place to start. And if you already feel you are growing in God with taking His hands and feet to our community to people who really need Him, then take this take to cement His love for others who are exactly the same as us. Just on the wrong side of the road, choice or circumstance, this does not change that we are all humans made by God's hands. We are all the same - loved by God who made us all.
Let us love, and may this reality of the older gentleman touch your heart, enlarge your heart to do more for the people we are called to love and lead to His Hope. Not ours. His :)
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