Fishing Under the Bridge

I recently listened to a radio program in which the hosts asked several visitors from third world countries what the most surprising and absurd thing was about America. The majority of the respondents replied that homeless shelters and assisted living centers for the elderly were among the most mind-boggling things that they had seen. People from third world countries could not understand the need for a soup kitchen.

On Sunday, a group of us went down to Haven for Hope, to volunteer in the kitchen and serve lunch. Kathie Love has led this ministry for some time now and started under the Commerce Street bridge across from the emergency SAMM shelter. The venue has recently changed due to the new Haven for Hope facility off of Frio St. We now spend time preparing the meal in Haven’s kitchen and then serving the residents in a Luby’s type serving line.

I stayed in the back during the serving time and let the folks that have not worked with people that are homeless before take the positions at the counter. My place at the fry station had a great view of the left side of the serving line. The residents began lining up at the doors about fifteen minutes prior to serving time. A few minutes later I saw a few of the folks usher up a very young man. This guy was about 18 years old and carried a cane. He was blind. He stood there, in front of the glass paned door with his head down. I could not figure out if perhaps that was just his typical stance or maybe he just kept his head down from a feeling of dejection. Then it dawned on me that perhaps he was praying… My heart had already warmed at the sight of the other guests leading him to the front of the line, and now my heart melted. When the doors were finally opened he stepped up to the lady at the register and handed her his ID with a subtle but noticeable smile. He moved down the line and I lost sight of him. His image is burned in my mind, and I can’t help but think that he has no way of knowing that that downward tilt of his head and soft smile had effected somebody so greatly. I prayed for him at that moment and am still praying for him. We served somewhere around 400 meals.

Where are we that an 18-year-old blind boy must spend his days and nights in a multi-million dollar homeless shelter? Are there really no other solutions? Why do we have homes specifically for the elderly to go when they have aged beyond the point of our own comfort? Should these folks not be in our own homes? We are caring for them and helping them, but is it in a way that takes some of their human dignity from them? I am not saying that these forms of aid and care should be done away with, I even ask you to support them. But please do pray about how we can make our own backyard a better world for its inhabitants. Ask G-d to show us how we can better love our neighbors.

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 37Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 40And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'”
Matthew 25:31-40

To find out more about volunteering for Fishing Under the Bridge, please e-mail Ryan Jacobson.

To find out more about Haven for Hope and service opportunities at this facility, please click here.

Holy Moments

Yesterday, I was on my way to The Foundry for an afternoon coffee and to get some work done while spending some time with the folks there.  As I exited 281 at Mulberry, I noticed a green SUV in the right lane with the hood up, door opened, and the hazards flashing.  I went around the SUV and like any good rubbernecker, craned around to get a look at the people in trouble.  In the grass on the side of the road were two young women and two young children.  They were sitting on a blanket and looked like they had been sitting there for a while.  I turned right...

G-d asked where I was going.  I said, "I guess to the next place that I could turn around and get back to them."  So that's what I did.  I pulled up behind the SUV and turned on my own hazards.  I opened the door and climbed out and walked around my car.

"Can I help you with anything or give you a lift to a gas station?"
"No, my sister's on her way.  It overheated and we think a hose broke"
"Well, I will never be mistaken for a mechanic, but I do have a cold A/C in my car.  Would you all like to just sit in there until your help arrives?"

The two young women and the two young boys piled in as I moved stuff out of the way.  We made a little small talk about where we lived and I looked at pictures of one of the boys spiderman toy that he was taking with his aunt's camera.

I talked about my recent travels and how much I loved a gig where my job is to do things to help people.
They asked me a few times, "Do you need to be somewhere or have something your supposed to be doing?"
"Nope.  The cool thing about my job is that this is part of it."
I thought to myself... this really is part of it! How awesome is that!  This is where I'm supposed to be and this is what I am supposed to be doing!

The two girls were very worried about my time, and I thought how nice it was just to be sitting and offering some comfort.  Their sister arrived and I helped push the truck up the road and out of the way.

Time, such an interesting thing.  I am usually a very task and goal oriented type of person.  Time must be spent and invested in some purpose.  This can quickly become a very unhealthy way to live.  It has been unhealthy for me before.  I have prayed a lot about it though and have been trying to learn more about sabbath.  G-d has helped me out in this, but I still have a ways to go.  I started reading a book last night by one of the most influential spiritual hearts in contemporary times.  It's called simply The Sabbath.  Abraham Joshua Heschel was a rabbi born in 1907.  He lived to 1972 and his writings are very highly regarded by Christians and Jews.  The Sabbath was originally published in 1951 and I only recently picked it up.  Because of my lack of time management skills, I have only just begun to read it.  The book is only about 100 pages long, but after I read the first three paragraphs for the fifth time I realized that the weight of the book is much more than it appears.  The language is not hard to understand, but the ideas and concepts while easily grasped are mind bending and the implications for our everyday life are astounding.

"Technical civilization is man's conquest of space.  It is a triumph frequently achieved by sacrificing an essential ingredient, namely, time.  In technical civilization, we expend time to gain space.  To enhance our power in the world of space is our main objective.  Yet to have more does not mean to be more.  The power we attain in the world of space terminates abruptly at the borderline of time.  But time is the heart of existence."

This is just the first paragraph of the prologue!  In the bible, the very first thing to be called Holy is a day.  It is not a rock, a mountain, a person, or even G-d himself.  It is a specific unit of time: the seventh day.  And this day has no influence from the material world.  It marks a ceasing of being engulfed by the material.  Time and space are inricately connected in our world, but the G-d who created and transcends both first designates time as holy and the designation of a holy place only comes at the request of misguided man.

Helping a few stranded motorists and taking the time out of my day from what I had intended to be doing taught me something very valuable.  I can use time for my own gain.  I could have been getting stuff done.  I, instead, sat for an hour in an unmoving car waving other cars past me and telling stories of how G-d has been helping orphans in Africa and how I was lucky enough to be involved.  I have no clue what those girls and the children are doing today and I didn't ask them if they had Jesus in their lives or even ask them to pray with me.  I do know that just the chance to share what G-d has done for me is amazing.  I do know that those people were touched by G-d's love and that I got to be part of it.  I know that that time was precious and holy even though I didn't get anything tangible done.  I rejoice in that, even though I feel somewhat uncomfortable sharing it.