When I see so much injustice in this world, I often wonder why I am so privileged and blessed. What have I done to deserve a warm place to sleep at night while others lay on the cold ground outside? What have I done to deserve a meal whenever I want it while others can hardly get one bite of food? I am so grateful for the incredibly blessed and privileged life that I have, but I can’t help but feel my heart break every time I see a homeless person on the sidewalk, read about people who live their lives listening to a symphony of bomb blasts, just waiting for the day when one hits their home, or hear about little girls whose lives are in danger simply for wanting an education.
I have been visiting Sydney, Australia for about a week, and the one thing that has stood out to me the most is the number of homeless people that are lining the streets. Every time I have walked by someone lying on the ground, my heart breaks and I can’t help but feel affected. I’m not sure if I’m so easily affected because of the already overwhelming amount of terrible injustice that seems to be all around us lately, that God is softening my heart, or just because it’s something that I’m very sensitive to, but that sensitivity seems to be magnified lately. I wish desperately that I had the money to help every single homeless individual that I see, and had the power to lift from them their burdens – whether that be addiction, mental illness, or something else entirely. Unfortunately, I am incapable of both of those things.
The greatest problem that I see regarding those who are homeless is how desensitized to them our society has become, and how dehumanized they seem to be. We often look at these people and forget that they are just that: people. We see a drug addict, an eyesore, a con artist, a lazy person, a beggar, or a “crazy” person rather than an individual who is loved and cherished by God.
The Bible states that we must care for those in need and love every single person, including when loving someone might be hard or uncomfortable. The reality is, those that are homeless are some of the people who need love the most. Thousands walk by them every day without so much as a glance, which, at least if I was in that position, would result in feeling like no one cares.
I recently heard Christine Caine – a wonderful Australian activist – speak at a conference, and she made a great point about what it means to love someone as you would love yourself, which is what we are called to do. She talked about how, in order to truly love someone, you need to desire for them the same things that you desire for yourself: you want them to have food as much as you want a meal in front of you; you want them to have a warm bed as much as you want one for yourself; you want them to feel safe as much as you want to; and you want to show them as much grace as you want others and God to show you, no matter what they have done to end up in the position that they are in.
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters, you did for me.’” ~Matthew 25:37-40
I think that people too often ignore injustice that goes on in our world because it makes them uncomfortable.They don’t read current events because they are too negative. They try to clear their mind of what they’ve seen when they walk past a homeless man because those feeling of sadness might ruin their day – or, unfortunately, because they are too selfish or entitled to do anything. They have no desire to educate themselves on what is going on around them because it is, for the most part, not very positive. While they see all of the injustice, they push it from their minds in order to not feel sad, angry, or otherwise uncomfortable. I believe, however, that God puts those feelings there to motivate us to do something. It’s so important that we empathize with those around us because otherwise, what will drive us to help their situation? A Syrian refugee fleeing their beloved country cannot just say, “I’m going to take a break from all of this – I’m too tired to deal with it and it’s just making me feel upset.” So why should we be able to turn our eyes away from their struggles just because they give us a heavy heart? A homeless individual cannot just say, “I think I’m going to stop being homeless today. It’s not very comfortable to lay here and people seem to think I’m an inconvenience.” So why can we simply turn our eyes and continue on, unaffected, while a fellow human being suffers?
“It is one thing to be awakened to injustice and quite another to be willing to be inconvenienced and interrupted to do something about it.” ~ Christine Caine
I’m not going to end this with some profound statement that gives the answer to solving homelessness, or that will state that the sadness I feel towards these individuals has magically been alleviated. What I will conclude with, however, is a call to everyone – but especially those who call themselves Christians – to actually do something. I’m not saying that you need to give all of your money away, or that you should feel guilty for the privilege that you have. At the very least, just acknowledge that those who are homeless are still people. They have feelings, emotions, desires, and dreams; they have just been through situations that have left them in a very sad place. They are loved by God, and therefore need to be loved by us. Sit down and have a conversation with them, buy them lunch, say hello as you walk by. Quite frankly, even just a smile is better than simply walking by as though you’re oblivious to their suffering
We are called to be a light in this world, so let’s stop shining away from those who are most deeply immersed in darkness.
If you enjoyed this, please hit the “Subscribe for Updates” button to be alerted whenever I make a new post.
I still have a long way to go with fundraising, so if you’re able, please consider donating! If you cannot support me financially, prayers are always appreciated!
