However, if you do not live in these parts, then that's all you might see, and you'll not recognize that, or those, which are missing from this picture, which would be some of my homeless friends, or 'homies' as they are lovingly known.
Some of you may remember the very first post in this blog, (not that it's hard to find) which told the story of a bench that our guys have been using for several years, which was thrown in the dumpster in an effort to get rid of them, and to keep them from coming back.
We went diving and rescued the bench, and it now lives at our home where our friends are welcome, and where we are learning to live, to love, and to follow Jesus together as a community built on love and not status.
It would be too easy to just boycott the establishment that had this done, but I must not forget that they answer to someone in a higher position, so I can not personally hold against them the decision to have the bench removed, although I find it a bit silly, and unjust to say the least.
There are so many things that are allowed to go by in today's society, that you would think folks would pay special attention to. Like drug deals made openly in the streets, parents yelling and screaming at each other in front of their children publicly (not that privately makes a difference) and I struggle with knowing that the mere sight of someone can cause such an uproar that we begin to toss perfectly good benches and such in the dumpster instead of giving them to someone to be used for good, and that signs are commissioned to be used to replace people.
In an age where there are so many 'apps' for this and that, I'm really surprised that anyone ever talks anymore, at least face to face, and this troubles me deeply as it is a very impersonal way to live, especially considering that Jesus calls us to live in personal relationships with one another.
So. With that being said, why have we worked so hard to arrive at this point in time, just to shut one another out? We live in fenced in properties, gated communities, bars on our windows, we walk around with our faces buried in our phones, yet we somehow maintain enough awareness of what is around us to keep from walking into one another, and to keep building walls that are destroying us as a people, and I want to know how to continue to do my part to resist this. If Jesus were here in the physical today, I wonder how many places He would be asked to leave due to 'loitering'?
I am learning that when you feel strongly about something, even if it's the Gospel truth, others will find a way to avoid you if it makes them uncomfortable, and we have seen a great decline in the face to face relationships that we are created for, all due to the simple fact that we have the option to 'block' that person if we do not agree with them.
It is my earnest prayer that we will look more closely at who we have become, and turn back to our first love, Jesus.
If we say that we follow Him, but we refuse to do the tough things that taking up our cross might entail, then we should ask ourselves if we really believe. I know that sounds strong, and maybe it is, but I feel that it needed to be said, even if I am just talking to myself.
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