“For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’” Matthew 25:42-45
This verse is why I will never forget July 15th, 2015. It was 1:00am in Paris and we were halfway through our 2 hour walk from the Eiffel Tower to the hostel. On the sidewalk, under a quilt, was an entire family. A father held a little girl around 8 years old in his arms and there were two more of them, one on either side of him. He and I met eyes, and he gently said, “Bonsoir.” I returned the greeting with a smile and continued on down the street. I heard a more hopeful, “Excusez-moi” trail after me… but I kept walking. And I knew the gravity of what I had just done as the nausea set in but still I didn’t turn around. And for blocks I considered turning around. But I didn’t. And every day I see those gentle brown eyes, olive skin, and the black hair of the little girl huddled against his chest followed by the little market that was still open less than a block away.
That night I know I left Jesus huddled out on the street, hungry, cold, and alone. My brother tried to calm me down as we walked back to the hostel but all I could say was, “I know better. There’s no excuse. I know better.” And it’s true, I did something wrong. In a moment of opportunity for loving someone in their deepest need, I failed. It’s so easy to make the excuses that we’re tired, it’s late, we don’t have much to give, and on and on and on. But those reasons are flimsy and use ordinary circumstances that should not take precedent over the needs of the human person right in front of us. For years I have stood on the platform and shouted Mother Teresa’s words to the masses, “We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty.” The time came to put my money where my mouth was and my selfishness won. The feelings of nausea and utter defeat stayed with me for a long time, and still haven’t really gone away. Our sin does that to us. But there is mercy.
God is so merciful that He not only forgives our transgressions without a second thought but He also never gives up on us. As I prayed in my hostel bed that night I swore to the Lord that I would never reject another soul on the streets regardless of the temporal consequences. The rest of my trip I had the privilege to meet so many souls. Whether I gave them food, a hot drink, or simply shook their hand and asked their name didn’t matter. I promised Him that I would love them and so He sent them to me. It led me to meet people like a young man named Joshua who sobbed when we brought him a cup of tea and so many others whose names are tenderly recorded in my travel journal. Since the day I made that promise I have found myself up to my elbows in situations where I have the choice to walk away or stay meet a new pair of eyes with a story all their own. I find myself understanding more and more what Mother Teresa discovered in Jesus’ words from the Cross, “I Thirst.” That thirst for souls that He placed in her, and even more so in our sweet mother Mary, I feel increasing in my chest with each passing day. I thought I knew that thirst before but since I made a solemn vow that night in Paris everything has changed and intensified to a level that is almost unbearable. But He didn’t stop there. He gave me more than I could have imagined. He charged me with this year of mission. At the end of my trip to Europe last summer, which lasted the entire month of July, I said, “Lord this was so beautiful but it wasn’t enough time. I need more.”
Enter stage right: the world race. 11 full months of not just traveling across an entire continent but my whole purpose being feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and homeless, wanting the unwanted, loving the unloved, and caring for the uncared for. As Dr. Calabria, my advisor when I studied special education, always told us: “Our job is to claim the unclaimed.” He has given me a massive amount of freedom to continue fulfilling my promise to Him. And I will always have the reminder of that man’s face burning in my mind and prayers to strengthen my resolve.
Please consider supporting me at any amount, whether one-time or monthly, and help me get there. It has been a beautiful exercise in humility to rely so heavily on the will of others in order to do what I need to do and be where I need to be. A thousand thank yous to everyone who has supported me so far, I couldn’t do any of this without you!
