homelessness and the way we think ..

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2013/12/11/homeless-man-codes-app-trees-cars-leo-grand

that link is to a story on HLN
a story you need to watch
because it's illuminating

it sheds light on the ' homeless '
that class of people we tend to
   walk by, eyes averted
   cross the street so we don't have to deal with their cup and cardboard sign
   speak-out against because they leave garbage
   or old clothes
   or needles

after all, they're bums
a blight on society
scum
they look dirty
they smell bad
they make me sick  !

they're drunks
   druggies
   dropouts
   mentally insane, at some level
   lazy
   ' the offscouring ' of our society ..

they should be Guantanmo-ed
locked-in
removed from society
monitored

aside from the diss'ing
we offer them helpful advice like
   " get a job ! " ...
we rough them up
curse them
like in this video as a for-example
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NMTYSZocv4k

we want them to disappear
after all
it's the strong that survive
the fit whose genes are passed on under the umbrella of evolution
   right  ?
the weak perish naturally
they're weeded out by the natural course of nature ..
and we just salved our collective conscience ..
how .. convenient

and leaving them out there
in the dread winter weather
   ( imagine sleeping outside on the east coast this last week of serious cold )
maybe hoping nature will do the job for us
as they die-off
one by one
from cold and wet and hunger and disease and drugs and alcohol and their inverted minds that can't handle the incessant wandering-homeless-hungry-cold-berating-beatings-rats ...

but the above story defies those odds ..
'course it's only one
and he's the anomaly, the exception to the rule ...
and
   " see? that's what i been sayin'.. the good ole american way !
   an enterprising spirit will be rewarded ..
   a capitalistic mindset will always payoff " ..
he doesn't deserve to be homeless ..
.. . ...... .     .

which begs the question ..
does anyone deserve to be homeless  ?  ?
........ .    ...    .

" well then they shouldn't have .. " done this or that
" they should have .. " done that or this
... .. ... . .    .

a long long time ago
there was this wiseman
a sage

he was homeless ..

he actually had a purpose in life
something he had to do
but on the road to that something
he did a lot of other things
things to help hurting people
things that spoke to his compassion
for the abused ( the adulterous woman of John 8 )
for the hurt
the hungry
the marginalized ( adulterer )
outsiders ( lepers )
the ' crazy ' ( demon-possessed )
the sick
   even the sick family of his enemies
      like the daughter of the synagogue-head, Jairus
   ( the woman trapped in her bleeding for 12 years )
the lame ( the man at the pool of Siloam )
the begger
the usurping thieving civil servant ( zaccheus )
....  .  . . . .   . .   .

that sage is my rabbi

i follow him

i intend to follow him
   regardless
regardless

he resets my worldview
he points-out my path

he is my icon

he is my example
i look to see what he thought and did and how he approached stuff
how he spoke
his attitude ..
like that ..

and then
i try
   to think like him
   to do like him
   approach like him
   speak like him
   attitude like him

be him
... .     .

we live in a world system that lies under the continuing influence of the powers of darkness
   the Satan is not yet a done deal
   his ultimate defeat is still in the future
mine is to see that for what it is
and move in a direction that counters
works against that system
and works for people
people created in the image and likeness of
God ....  .


i defend them from the system ..


so
when you see that video
and you're thinking that guy deserves not to be homeless
maybe you should consider that
all people are humans
every one
each one
and every human is created in the image and likeness of God

think about that ..

when you diss' a human
you are diss'ing a God-like being

they are not animals
they are
just
like
you
and me

one day
that sage will raise them from the dead
all of them
each one
just
like
you
and me

they deserve compassion ..
you'll stop for a homeless cat or dog
or an injured bird ..
your heart goes out to that bird

they deserve
compassion
mercy
grace
love
help
me

they deserve our love

remember that we are rebels-at-heart
children of disobedience ..
but God who is rich in mercy
gave the life of his own GodSon
   his very life
to help us out of that
redeem us
rescue us

compassion

should we not be looking to do the same  .. . .    .   ?   ?

think . .  .     .
think with your heart

then
go and do likewise
in Jesus' name
for God's honour

shalom