A few days ago, I passed by a young man next to the street who had his head down and seemed clearly to be in distress and very sad. As Christians, we have to be careful of who we help and how we reach out to people, respecting social boundaries, and being careful not to be "rescuing" people. But, still, it is a dire commandment of Christ, carrying with it a possible penalty of being passed by ourselves in the next life, which is likely meant for those who do not know Jesus, and who do not have a reason, even of common human kindness, to help those who are suffering. But, it is especially a dire warning for Christians who know the Gospel: "from whom much is given, much is expected." (paraphrase--verse?).
A couple years ago, I went to a grocery store after 10:00PM in an area of town that might be considered "ghetto." I walked in and was reading the bulletin board, when a thin alaska native lady walked up on crutches and offered me a cigarette. Sometimes, people will use crutches to get donations, but, she had two hospital wrist-bands on, but, she may have been picking up dates and offering a cigarette, I think, may be a street signal for this. Not understanding this at the time, I just said I didn't smoke, and, obviously, as a lifelong Christian, I have never picked up a "date," and have never had a desire to do so. Some ghetto-looking men in a car drove up and looked at me and then drove away, apparently scared off by their target speaking with a nicely dressed man. I became concerned for her safety and began asking her questions about her crutches. She had a captivating way of speaking and said she could speak Russian and had lived over the sea in Siberia with relatives, but, she was pretty intoxicated even though she was fairly co-herent, which she explained was the result of many years of hard-drinking and a high tolerance to alcohol.
Being someone who had tended to "rescue" people at times in the past, I felt a desire to help her out of concern for her safety and she was beginning to engage me a bit with her outgoing, engaging, unique, incredibly genuine personality. She explained that she had been turned out by two hospital with her foot problem, and the last one turned her away without a wheelchair, into the winter night, saying that she was in danger of losing her foot. I looked at the dates on the tags and reasoned how long ago she had been at the hospital and it was very recently. It's difficult not to weep at the memory of her suffering, but she was so weary from walking on crutches that her arms and hands began shaking. I ran to my car and said I had a camp chair there, and offered it to her. She sat down, very grateful, and began telling people passing by, "look at my chair!" Even though she was a street person, I sensed something unique and special about her as she propped up her foot on one of her crutches. I definitely couldn't leave her there. But, I was concerned about what it would look like her getting into my car that late at night. So, I offered to pay for a cab to drive her back to the hospital, but I think she didn't think they could help her since they had just turned her away, and it was more than I could afford, and I was still reluctant to let her into my car. But, I really should have driven her there. She finally said that she knew a friend in the nearby area and I asked if I paid for her cab fare there, would she be safe there? She said yes.
Worrying if she got safely to her destination, the next day I called the cab company to confirm she did, which they did, but, not that she got safely into her friends apartment. The cab driver, or cab dispatch said it was not their responsibility, and I remind them she was on crutches. So, I called the police dispatch, and I got chewed out for "rescuing" someone I did not know, and I told the lady at dispatch that the steet lady had indeed invited me to see her again. People who are genuine and real like that, regardless of their circumstances, can capture your heart, not romantically, but just out of loving your neighbor and community friendship. I was actually considering asking her out, but finally decided that the alcoholism and street life was too much for me to take on. Then I met an eskimo lady, also hardened by life, but who went out of her way to destroy my life at every chance she got, and I regretted the decision.
I wondered about how she made out for over a year, and this spring I saw her crossing a street clutching a male friends arm, and I was glad she had found someone she relied on and liked and trusted enough to take his arm as they crossed the street, instead of the other way around.
So, back to the young man in distress along the street a few days ago. I was thinking it was my Christian duty to see if he was ok, even though the Bible says (Apostle Paul) "the love of Christ" should drive our duty to charity. You never know if someone is about to jump into traffic, especially young people. But, I was thinking, "I'm really weary, tired, hungry, worn and empty and weak inside, and I just don't have the strength to help anyone right now. There are dozens of other cars passing him by--let someone else rescue him." So I went in to the department store and ate by a window overlooking the street. Soon, ambulances came. And paramedics. I couldn't tell who they were coming to help. By this time, I felt pretty bad, and went to my car and drove up the street and as I passed the intersection, I heard in my mind-- "my brother." This sounded like the prompting of the spirit as found in the Bible, and, I realized I had passed by a suffering person and have no idea what happened to them, which is clearly against the teachings of the Bible. Jesus didn't say help people when we feel strong enough, he said, "when you fail to do this to the least of these, you have not done it for Me."
All I can do now, is put a note on the dash of my car: "LOVE IS ACTION." (Matt. 25:34)
I have many of these Christian teachings/scriptures, so anyone who reads this is welcome to print this one. I hope it's not too late for that young man on the street. It's never too late to turn to God and obey Him in reaching out in kindness to all who we meet who are suffering. Even our enemies--especially our enemies; This is the highest Christian calling, and of humanity. This is why Jesus came.
--Herald
June 2017
A couple years ago, I went to a grocery store after 10:00PM in an area of town that might be considered "ghetto." I walked in and was reading the bulletin board, when a thin alaska native lady walked up on crutches and offered me a cigarette. Sometimes, people will use crutches to get donations, but, she had two hospital wrist-bands on, but, she may have been picking up dates and offering a cigarette, I think, may be a street signal for this. Not understanding this at the time, I just said I didn't smoke, and, obviously, as a lifelong Christian, I have never picked up a "date," and have never had a desire to do so. Some ghetto-looking men in a car drove up and looked at me and then drove away, apparently scared off by their target speaking with a nicely dressed man. I became concerned for her safety and began asking her questions about her crutches. She had a captivating way of speaking and said she could speak Russian and had lived over the sea in Siberia with relatives, but, she was pretty intoxicated even though she was fairly co-herent, which she explained was the result of many years of hard-drinking and a high tolerance to alcohol.
Being someone who had tended to "rescue" people at times in the past, I felt a desire to help her out of concern for her safety and she was beginning to engage me a bit with her outgoing, engaging, unique, incredibly genuine personality. She explained that she had been turned out by two hospital with her foot problem, and the last one turned her away without a wheelchair, into the winter night, saying that she was in danger of losing her foot. I looked at the dates on the tags and reasoned how long ago she had been at the hospital and it was very recently. It's difficult not to weep at the memory of her suffering, but she was so weary from walking on crutches that her arms and hands began shaking. I ran to my car and said I had a camp chair there, and offered it to her. She sat down, very grateful, and began telling people passing by, "look at my chair!" Even though she was a street person, I sensed something unique and special about her as she propped up her foot on one of her crutches. I definitely couldn't leave her there. But, I was concerned about what it would look like her getting into my car that late at night. So, I offered to pay for a cab to drive her back to the hospital, but I think she didn't think they could help her since they had just turned her away, and it was more than I could afford, and I was still reluctant to let her into my car. But, I really should have driven her there. She finally said that she knew a friend in the nearby area and I asked if I paid for her cab fare there, would she be safe there? She said yes.
Worrying if she got safely to her destination, the next day I called the cab company to confirm she did, which they did, but, not that she got safely into her friends apartment. The cab driver, or cab dispatch said it was not their responsibility, and I remind them she was on crutches. So, I called the police dispatch, and I got chewed out for "rescuing" someone I did not know, and I told the lady at dispatch that the steet lady had indeed invited me to see her again. People who are genuine and real like that, regardless of their circumstances, can capture your heart, not romantically, but just out of loving your neighbor and community friendship. I was actually considering asking her out, but finally decided that the alcoholism and street life was too much for me to take on. Then I met an eskimo lady, also hardened by life, but who went out of her way to destroy my life at every chance she got, and I regretted the decision.
I wondered about how she made out for over a year, and this spring I saw her crossing a street clutching a male friends arm, and I was glad she had found someone she relied on and liked and trusted enough to take his arm as they crossed the street, instead of the other way around.
So, back to the young man in distress along the street a few days ago. I was thinking it was my Christian duty to see if he was ok, even though the Bible says (Apostle Paul) "the love of Christ" should drive our duty to charity. You never know if someone is about to jump into traffic, especially young people. But, I was thinking, "I'm really weary, tired, hungry, worn and empty and weak inside, and I just don't have the strength to help anyone right now. There are dozens of other cars passing him by--let someone else rescue him." So I went in to the department store and ate by a window overlooking the street. Soon, ambulances came. And paramedics. I couldn't tell who they were coming to help. By this time, I felt pretty bad, and went to my car and drove up the street and as I passed the intersection, I heard in my mind-- "my brother." This sounded like the prompting of the spirit as found in the Bible, and, I realized I had passed by a suffering person and have no idea what happened to them, which is clearly against the teachings of the Bible. Jesus didn't say help people when we feel strong enough, he said, "when you fail to do this to the least of these, you have not done it for Me."
All I can do now, is put a note on the dash of my car: "LOVE IS ACTION." (Matt. 25:34)
I have many of these Christian teachings/scriptures, so anyone who reads this is welcome to print this one. I hope it's not too late for that young man on the street. It's never too late to turn to God and obey Him in reaching out in kindness to all who we meet who are suffering. Even our enemies--especially our enemies; This is the highest Christian calling, and of humanity. This is why Jesus came.
--Herald
June 2017
