His sign reads, "Homeless. Hungry. Anything helps. God bless." He regularly stands on the corner of 2nd street in the freezing winter. I've driven past him nearly every day for months now, and I still don't know his name. Today, I noticed that his gloves don't match, and it got me thinking (I know, I know, it's always scary when I start thinking!) about how people treat him.
I wonder...
When they drive by, do they sit in their warm vehicles and avoid making eye contact with him? Do they look at him and shake their heads in judgmental disgust, and snarl about how he should go out and get a job? Do they criticize him because he smokes, and he's wasting his money on that "nasty habit" when he could be spending the money on food?
I wonder...
Do they feel compassion for him and hand him money? Do they ever give him food? And if they do give him food, is it in a can? Because food in a can wouldn't do any good if you don't have a can opener. Does it have to be heated? It would be terribly hard to heat something with no oven. Is it something he likes? Has anyone ever asked him what he likes? Maybe he doesn't like bologna. Or maybe he's allergic to peanuts. Maybe he's a vegetarian.
Oh... but wait.... beggars can't be choosers, right? He should be grateful for what he gets.... right? If he's going to be lazy and not work, then he doesn't have the right to choose...... right?
Hmm. I wonder....
I wonder if we realize that he's not just a dirty fixture on the street corner. He's a person. A living, breathing person. God made this gentleman in His image, just like He did you and me. He cares deeply about his sorrows and his joys, just like He cares about ours. He loves him - like He loves us... mercifully and unconditionally... no matter what.... always.
I wonder if we stop to think that we have never walked in this man's shoes, and there's no way we could possibly know about his journey. Maybe he had a devastating blow in his life, and there was no one to help him through it. Maybe he's sick and trying to just make it. Maybe he lost his family to a tragedy. Or maybe he just likes standing on the corner. Who knows?
And then I wonder if we know that it's not our business to judge ANY of his life. At all.
I was having a conversation with a 14-year old the other day at the theatre. In that conversation, he was expressing his thoughts about love, and how if we would just LOVE each other - REALLY love each other - a lot of the problems in our world would be solved. He's right. Judging hurts. Love covers. Love seems the better, more Jesus-y option.
Whatever that means to you, do it. LOVE. Because, judging.... yeah... that's not our job.
