DO WE SEE OTHER PEOPLE?

 

THE HOMELESS

My wife received an email this week from a warming shelter requesting donations of warm clothing for homeless people. Temperatures were dipping below zero so we did what many people would do with such a request. We began to unload closets and drawers and were amazed at how much we had that we didn't use or need.

When we arrived at the shelter, I looked inside and saw rows of cots and a hundred or so people sheltering from the cold. Outside there were a few people standing and sipping warm drinks, but I was heartbroken at what else I saw. There were piles of clothing, bedding and other belongings covered in snow in carts or on the ground. There were bags filled with donations sitting on the ground, also soaking wet from the snow. The door to the main facility was locked and there was no one keeping the donations dry, sorted and available to people obviously in need. 

THE SHELTER

I know this may sound critical of an organization attempting to help those that are economically disadvantaged, sleeping on doorsteps of buildings, sleeping in their cars or maybe in tents. This is not my intent because the organization providing this shelter is known for its compassion and caring for people that many of us, myself included, can't see. Their resources, and the available volunteers, obviously had become insufficient to accomplish their purpose to serve their community. 

I know there are other organizations and groups that are effective in meeting the needs of the poor and homeless, but they too may sometimes not be able to keep up with the demand for services. In this post, it is not my purpose to criticize any provider of care. Very plainly, I am personally convicted of how easy it is for me and my community, even the religious population, to not see or care about the suffering around us. How easy it has become to not look for ways to help meet the needs of other human beings!

WHY DON'T WE SEE THEM?

For myself, I have been the self-centered focus of much of my life. The truth is, I probably still am! Perhaps this is true for some other people as well. A significant part of society suffering from emotional and physical damage, from inability to work or hold a job or from the devastating humiliation of being down and out, has been invisible to me. My quest to gain personal recognition, position and money during much of my life has overshadowed what God wants His people to do. I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, have served in leadership for several churches, and have functioned as a police Chaplain. Much of my Christian service, unfortunately, was for my own achievement and recognition. With my focus primarily on myself, the rest of the world was invisible.

The homeless, immigrants, poor people and criminals really became non-persons to me, as they really are to much of society and even to much of the church today. Don't get me wrong. There are many people with pure hearts devoting resources, time and effort to helping the disadvantaged. We are being led today in our society by the rich and privileged, however, who care mostly about only what they want. The systemic problem is that the collective "we" doesn't want to see or know these disadvantaged people. In fact, anyone politcally, religiously, racially or financially different from us have become classed as non-persons!

KNOWING AND LOVING PEOPLE

David Brooks, New York Times bestselling author wrote a book entitled, "How to Know a Person." The essence of the book's content is captured by him on the inside fly of the cover. He writes: "There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen--to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood." This is who Jesus Christ is and who we were created in Him to be!