Proverbs 21;13
I am a visual person, inside and out. I wish an HDMI cord could plug into my brain and you could see how I see, the movie reels that play every time I hear words, phrases and people talking. I create a movie in there... scenarios if you will, its like my example of what I think its like or should be like.
When I was in church Sunday, this was read. The people in the Sunday school were talking about things like Rockefeller and Ford, making money and being big business working with low wage workers. That makes sense, right? Making millions off the poor? Not sharing the profits of their work equally ? Yep I get it!
But do you know what came to my mind?
A homeless person sitting outside the McDonald's near where I work holding a sign asking for money for food. I sit in McDonald's and watch countless people drive by him, ignoring him, looking the other way, not even offering him a smile or look of kindness, or FOOD. I couldn't believe people flying through the drive through didn't offer him food, they could see him the entire time they were in the line, order an extra $1 burger..... something folks. Then, much to my glee, a biker and his lady parked, talked to the man, came into McDonald's and placed an order, then took everything they ordered out to the man. Not only did they feed him, they sat with him while he ate and talked to him. They shook hands, they got on their bike and left, shortly after the man put his sign away and pulled a book out of his bag and started reading.
He didn't want anything but food in his belly. He wasn't looking for money for alcohol, he wasn't looking for drugs... he wanted food. A simple, poor man looking for food. I know not all homeless people begging for money want food... I am not naive. But like all the people that passed him assuming he was just another drunk or drug addict, he showed them, not everyone is the same. Just like all the homeless people are not the same, not all looking to take money for the wrong reasons, so are the people in the drive thru.
How many of those people passing that man claimed to be a good God serving Christian?
How many of those people go to church every Sunday and pray to the Good Lord and read the good book?
What if the homeless many was Jesus himself?
Look at all those Christian's who drove by him, ignoring him, giving him shameful looks, and not offering help to their fellow man.
The poor are His people, he walked and taught with some of the most material poor people in the world. They didn't have anything, they were only rich in the word of Jesus and to them, that was the most priceless thing in the world.
I'm not saying give money to every person with a sign... Lord knows there are rich people out holding signs just to scam people of their money!! Have the conversation, offer them assistance, not more of a disability. Food and water are the simplest things that everyone needs and if you are driving a car anywhere, you can afford to give up a few bucks for a bottle of water and a hamburger.
Can you see yourself in those shoes?
See yourself passing that man day after day, in your Mercedes, going between business meetings, scowling at the man, saying in your head " he needs a bath and a job" flying by everyday as you eat your hot take out and drink your latte. Then three years later, you find yourself at that same spot. The market crashed, your job is gone, you have to sell your prefect car, your home and everything you own and now its YOU sitting at that McDonalds, hoping someone would give you a few quarters to buy some food. Out of no where, here comes the guy, walking up to where you are sitting, in his dirty clothes, with his backpack and his sign. He sits a few feet from you, holding his sign and not saying a word. After about an hour during the lunchtime rush, no one talks to either of you. You finally break down and ask him " How do you do this every day? I used to be one of these people that drive by you and not give you a look or a penny. How do you sit here everyday and be shamed in front of these people day in and day out just for a burger?"
" I am not ashamed of who I am, I gave up my life for this country in the war and when I came back, nothing was the same. I feel normal being out here. I have traveled the country and have seen kindness and goodness in people everywhere but here. I am where God wants me to be. I sit here and wait for people to talk to me, to teach them compassion, to teach them the good word. I don't need these burgers to live, I can keep myself alive without. I sit here because God wants me to be here when these people decide to listen to Him and come to me"
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