Downtown 12/7/2010

A month or so ago I saw an elderly woman at the 60 freeway off-ramp at Azusa Ave in the City of Industry. She was holding a homeless sign and stood next to the curb with a walker. My guess is she was between 65 and 70 years old. The light was green as I approached and I had to drive on through the intersection. Recently, in the last week or so my wife has seen this same woman standing there and has had the opportunity to give her some assistance a couple of times. The other night as I was going to bed my wife expressed to me her concern (with tears) over how this woman was going to get through yet another cold night. I gently comforted her and said, "You're now catching the spirit of 'Right Now Counts'. It's hard to just forget about them when you come home, isn't it?" It's now been over a year and a half that I've been making these trips downtown and many nights I've wondered how my friends are doing. Are they hungry? Are they warm? Dry? What are their chances of ever getting off the streets? The older ones who have lived the lifestyle for many years have the survival techniques down, but the young ones, what are their prospects? Mark Twain was once asked if the verses in the bible that he didn't understand bothered him. His response was, "It's not the verses that I don't understand that bother me, it's the ones that I do understand that bother me." Jesus summed up our obligations to others when he simply stated, "Love your neighbor as yourself." A religious leader questioned him further and asked, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus' response was the story of the Good Samaritan, with the point being, whoever is in need is your neighbor. Sometimes the need is not always physical. Yesterday, one of my encounters was with a man named Doug. I've helped this man several times in the past, but it has been several months since I last saw Doug. As it turns out, he had been in the hospital battling diabetes (Type 1). He is about my age, maybe even a couple of years younger and is facing a very difficult road ahead being homeless and having to deal with this disease. He may eventually have to go to an assisted living facility. He knows his prospects are not good. I'm not sure exactly what I said when I prayed with him, but I know I prayed something about being in His (God's) presence eternally, and asked God to give Doug a taste of that presence here and now. When I finished Doug said, "Wow, you really helped me to zero in on where I need to focus my mind." All I could think of was praise God that the Holy Spirit guides us to pray when we don't know what to pray for. Our "neighbors" are everywhere and I know we can't help everyone we see. But the help needed may be just a kind word or encouragement at the right time. Yesterday, I was able to talk to Gary who lives in the parking lot next to the church on Cloud Nine Alley. I asked him if he had talked to him Mom recently. He had expressed a desire to see her a couple of months back. Her name is Marilyn and she lives in Atlanta. I offered him my cell phone to call her if he knew her number. He told me he would sure like to see her at Christmas, but she was at work during the day and he didn't have her work number. When we prayed together I expressed to God Gary's desire to see his mother and if not at Christmas, perhaps New Year's. I think just the idea that he shared this deep heartfelt desire to someone was of benefit to him because he thanked me afterwards. It would make sense that many of these homeless people are "homesick" for not only home and family, but just for the idea and memory of things being the way they used to be and this memory is something they treasure in their hearts and minds.
One final word. Last week after one of my encounters I was asked by a policeman to not help the homeless in that area. He said to go to the missions area (5th,6th and 7th streets) because the homeless will return to whatever area they found help and the businesses in this area don't want the homeless on their sidewalks. I didn't argue but simply said OK and left that area. Wouldn't you know that yesterday there was a homeless man on a sidewalk at the exact spot where the policeman told me this last week. Now where this man was, was not in front of a business but next to a parking lot on Olive St. I tell you this not to appear proud or anything, not but because I disobeyed the police, but only because that was where the "neighbor" who needed the help was. I tried to take his picture, but he was under the shade of a tree and it didn't come out. We are carriers of God's light and God's presence. Bringing this light and presence to this world full of our 'neighbors' can take us to some of the darkest places of despair and hopelessness that we can imagine. As James says in the opening chapter of his letter, "Count it all joy." and may I add, "Count it all joy", 'when we have the privilege of bringing this light and His presence to those neighbors in need.' --Until next week. John