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“Pity the sorrows of a poor old man, Whose trembling limbs have borne him to your door, Whose days are dwindled to the shortest span; Oh give relief, and Heaven will bless your store.” ~ Thomas Moss
A thought on the humanity of those who live in the crevices of life.
There is a freeway exit Marsha and I have regularly accessed to get to our son’s home. Invariably, we encounter someone at the intersection asking for money.
It is seldom the same person but always someone who has slipped into one of many of life’s crevices.
The truth is — all too often I’ve turned my back on them and others like them. I’m often too preoccupied with my own life to take the time to feel their pain and too indisposed to see their humanity.
I’ve asked myself, “Why don’t I help?” It’s all too easy to write them off as drug addicts and tell myself I’m denying them help for their own good.
As though I know the first thing about any of these good people.
The truth is — it’s so much easier for me to be a moral cop than a good Samaritan.
But I know better — much better.
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.” ~ Mathew 7:1-2
Years ago, when I was in Mumbai, India, I encountered a woman begging while holding her child. She pounded on my taxi window, asking for help.
I found myself broken by the scene.
The weight of her circumstances and the poverty surrounding her screamed the message: I’M HERE! I DEMAND YOU SEE ME!
I emptied my pockets.
I’ve never forgotten her face.
How easy it is to become over-focused on ourselves.
♥♥♥
Never was this made more apparent then when I found myself at a midnight meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous. I was in early sobriety and just barely hanging on.
The meeting was chaired by someone I knew to be homeless. I’d seen him many times on my way to the Pike Place Market as he’d made his home underneath the old Seattle viaduct in a cardboard shelter.
So David (his name) saw that I was in a bad way and asked me if I’d like to share.
I couldn’t — I had nothing to share — I was empty.
So he took the lead and began reciting a verse from The Hound of Heaven, a poem by Francis Thomson.
His words were both brilliant and gripping, perfectly describing:
- my feelings
- my pain
- my life
He said, as he looked over to me, “God is pursuing you, just as the hound follows the hare, never ceasing in its running, ever drawing nearer in the chase, with unhurrying and unperturbed pace, crying out ‘Surrender! Surrender! Surrender!’”
He spoke to me like I’d never been spoken to before. It saved my life.
How did he know such things? Where did he accumulate such wisdom?
The life he’d lived in the crevices had given him access to a kind of wisdom unknown to me.
♥♥♥
Here’s the story of a videographer whose mission it is to help those who’ve fallen into the crevices.
His name is Peter Bond and he recalls encountering a homeless man on a street corner one frigid night. Rather than ignoring the man or giving him the loose change in his pocket he gave him a $20 bill.
This simple act had a profound affect on both the beggar and Bond. The men ended up embracing in tears.
The experience was a pivotal moment in his life. Bond decided to dedicate himself to helping people who are homeless.
His contributions are substantial ($500 or more). He has recorded a number of his encounters on YouTube. Here are two (each about one minute):
It’s amazing what humanity can be found in those who make the crevices their home.
Just a thought…
Pat
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