The homeless are often forgotten and dismissed as bums and vagabonds and the truth is that many of us are living in such an economically fragile situation that we are one economic catastrophe from finding ourselves in that very same situation. In the Greensboro Public Library, many of the homeless congregate to escape the elements, converse, and search for work and escape the uncertainty of the streets. They choose to escape by talking, reading and sometime taking a short nap before they are discovered by security. I am sometimes there to write and use the free Wi-Fi and often find myself conversing with many of these people that many of us ignore and dismiss as drug addicts and miscreants. I am more sensitive and empathetic to their plight because I have been homeless. I look at them and vividly remember my struggles to eat, stay warm, and maintain some semblance of dignity while the world passed me by. I hear my own voice as two homeless men wonder how they can find a meal and then bundle up to endure the cold through the night. When you are homeless, hunger and the cold injures the body as well as the soul. Your struggle to survive just one more day; one more night is all that you see in front of you. You stop dreaming and believing that there will be a brighter day. It is a dehumanizing and isolated existence that separates you from society while remaining in plain sight. Take out your license and read your home address – a simple task that gives you an anchor and stability – a feeling that is absent when you are homeless. Many of them suffer from mental illness and addictions while others are working but cannot gain a foothold on life and security. Most are children and women. Deuteronomy 15:11 tells us that “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.” As we begin the holiday season, let’s redouble our efforts to help the poor, homeless, elderly, and disadvantaged and continue that effort throughout the year. The next time you see a person at the light with a sign asking for a handout – don’t quickly roll your window up, lock the car doors and look away to avoid their blank stares. Look at them and look into your soul. Look at that person and search your soul to introspectively examine what you have done to serve the less fortunate in real and tangible ways. God demands that we seek his kingdom and that path always requires service. Look at that homeless person at the light and see my face because I have been there – but more importantly – see the face of Christ. Would you turn away if our Savior was holding that sign? Psalm 82:3-4 tells us to “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. 4 Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked. God bless you all and enjoy the upcoming holiday season.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 22:36:20 +0000
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