“WHEN YOU GIVE A LUNCH OR A DINNER, DON’T INVITE YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR BROTHERS, YOUR RELATIVES, OR YOUR RICH NEIGHBOURS, BECAUSE THEY MIGHT INVITE YOU BACK, AND YOU WOULD BE REPAID.ON THE CONTRARY, WHEN YOU HOST A BANQUET, INVITE THOSE WHO ARE POOR, MAIMED, LAME, OR BLIND. AND YOU WILL BE BLESSED, BECAUSE THEY CANNOT REPAY YOU.” (Luke 14-12-14 )
OBVIOUSLY WE ARE NOT INVITING THE STRANGER INTO OUR HOMES RIGHT NOW. COVID HAS MADE IT FEEL AS IF A ROCK IS WEIGHING DOWN UPON US OR THAT WE HAVE TO DODGE BOULDERS TO MAKE THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
I HAVE REALLY BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE POOR IN OUR CITY LATELY AS IT IS GETTING COLDER AND COLDER AND THE POWERS THAT BE JUST SHUT DOWN A CONTROVERSIAL ‘TENT CITY’ DUE TO INCREASED DRUG USE AND ABUSE. WHO WILL CARE FOR THE POOR AND MARGINALIZED?
I HAVE JUST COMPLETED A NEW SONG CALLED “OPEN THE DOOR TO THE POOR”.(I HOPE TO ADD THIS TO MY NEW ALBUM) . I KEEP THINKING, “HOW CAN WE HELP OTHERS? “
IT IS COMMON TO SEE PEOPLE MEASURING SUCCESS BY ‘SIZE’ : THE BIGGEST HOUSE. THE BIGGEST JOB. THE LOUDEST…VOICE.
AND SOME FOLKS THINK THEIR SMALL WAYS OF SERVING GO UNNOTICED AND THEY’RE DISCOURAGED. THEY MIGHT FEEL INSIGNIFICANT IN THE LARGER SCALE OF THINGS.
BUT WE ARE NOT CALLED TO FIND FULFILLMENT IN HOW MUCH WE DO OR HOW MANY PEOPLE HELP US OR EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT. WE ARE JUST CALLED TO DO ….SOMETHING. SOMEONE DOES KNOW OUR HEARTS AND EVEN THE LITTLEST OF KINDNESSES CAN MAKE A GREAT DIFFERENCE IN THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF THOSE NEAREST TO US, THOSE WE PASS ON THE STREET, AND EVEN FARTHER AFIELD THAN WE COULD IMAGINE.
HERE IS AN IMAGINARY SCENARIO :
YOU PASS AN ELDERLY ,DOWNHEARTED WOMAN ON THE STREET. NO ONE ‘SEES’ HER ANYMORE AND SHE IS LONELY. WHEN YOU PASS BY YOU GIVE HER A BEAUTIFUL SMILE AND REALLY LOOK INTO HER EYES. EVEN THOUGH SHE ONLY SEES YOUR EYES (ABOVE THE PANDEMIC MASK) SHE FEELS ‘SEEN’ AND UPLIFTED. SHE WALKS A LITTLE TALLER NOW AND DROPS A FAIR AMOUNT OF MONEY INTO THE CUP OF A STREET PERSON WHO HAD NO MEANS OF GETTING A MEAL OR A WARM ROOM FOR THE NIGHT. THAT PERSON GIVES THEIR BLANKET TO ANOTHER FELLOW BEGGING ON THE STREET NEARBY BEFORE HE (THE FIRST MAN) RUSHES OFF TO ENJOY A BREAKFAST SANDWICH SOMEWHERE. THE BLANKET SAVES THE SECOND MAN’S LIFE THAT NIGHT AS IT TURNS MUCH COLDER AND HE NOW HAS A WAY TO PROTECT HIMSELF FROM THE BITTER WIND. THIS RIPPLE EFFECT CAN CONTINUE ON AND ON AND ON IN WAVES OF GOODNESS AND CHARITY .
(I THINK WE CAN ALL IMAGINE THE OPPOSITE SCENARIO OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN WHEN WE ACT WITH NEGATIVITY.)
LET’S BREAK THROUGH THIS BOULDER OF SADNESS THAT THREATENS TO CRUSH US IN THIS SEEMINGLY NEVER ENDING PANDEMIC AND REACH OUT TO SOMEONE NEAR US TODAY IN A SMALL ACT OF KINDNESS. JUST LIKE IN THE CHORUS OF THE SONG, “ALL THAT IS HIDDEN”….
Chorus::
All that is hidden will be made clear.
All that is dark now will be revealed.
What you have heard in the dark
proclaim in the light;
What you hear in whispers
proclaim from the housetops.
If you would honour me, honour the least of these:
If you would speak of me, live all your life in me.
If you would rise with me, rise through your destiny …
LET’S TAKE THE CHALLENGE AND OPEN OUR HEARTS TO THE POOR!
