| | it's late.
It's been a long day.
And you are walking home along a sidewalk you are quite familiar with.
The cold wind stings your face and all you want to do is put your head down and get home, where its warm.
To your left you hear someone singing. You look over only to see that there is a homeless person who seems to have made his bed over the steam vent between buildings. Most likely to stay warm.
For a second you are tempted to look past him, and leave him to his singing. Just write him off as one of those poor people just trying to entertain himself, and probably doing so by annoying those who pass by.
But on second glance you realize that this isn't just any homeless person, this is Paul. You've talked with him before, you've shaken his hand, you've looked into his eyes. He's your friend.
You walk over to him, shake his hand, and ask how he's doing.
You know that he's struggled with heroin and alcohol, but is in the process of trying to get clean. He has even told you that is why he is on this side of town as opposed to where he normally "resides"; to stay away from the temptation that comes with what is familiar. He says he's staying clean, but that its hard. You do your best to encourage him, try to identify with the struggle, but deep in your heart you know you can't. You have no idea what kind of life it is to live on the streets, let alone what it takes to do it sober.
But you do what you can. You buy him a cup of coffee and encourage him to keep warm
... and to keep singing.
As you walk away you don't seem to mind the sting of the cold as much as you once did, your mind plagued with a question...
You've heard a lot of talk of social justice, of the fact that Jesus loved the poor, and so should you. You've even volunteered some time to do your part. But for the first time in your life the label of the "Poor" fades from your mind and all you see is Paul, your friend, sleeping over the steam vent in between buildings to stay warm. And you are forced to ask yourself the question you never wanted to...
"What am I going to do about it?"
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| | Posted 2/3/2007 8:09 PM - 15 Views - 8 eProps - 8 comments
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