Dear Saints,
Here we go again; the time to shop for that perfect turkey is coming upon us. In just a few weeks we will gather our families around the dining room table and stuff ourselves so much with the delicacies of Thanksgiving, that we will mirror the turkey we just consumed. Then we will retreat to the couch and settle in to watch the final games airing that day. The traditions of Thanksgiving in America have evolved to something quite different from the original Thanksgiving meal. It makes me wonder if we have evolved in the wrong direction. How about you, what do you think?
Speaking of eating, I was headed to the church the other day and I decided to drive my car instead of ride my bike. As I head north down Locust Street I always pass by a popular restaurant that is usually busy. This day was no exception. The line to get in went down a whole city block. I’ve eaten there and I can’t see the reason why it is so popular, but that’s not the point. As I proceeded another block there was another line forming that was just as long. What I noticed was a line of homeless men and women waiting to get something from a truck that had pulled up just outside the Catholic Church. There were two lines just blocks from each other and both were growing by the minute with people. I was now in the middle of those two lines. The line in front of me was filling up with homeless people and now as I looked in the rearview mirror of my car I could see the line of people waiting to get inside the fancy restaurant. I couldn’t help but wonder….. Which line would Jesus be in? As I had driven by the line of people waiting for their seats at the restaurant I saw people talking on phones, texting or just standing in line with their families, but as I looked into the eyes of the homeless people I heard no laughter. I saw looks of despair, and tiredness. It was obvious that living on the streets was no joy nor was it a place to raise a family. Again I wondered which line Jesus would be in? I asked that question to Maria and she replied, “Well he wouldn’t be in the line waiting to eat with all the rich folk.” I had pretty much come up with the same answer on my way to the church that day. But then God spoke to my heart; don’t you love it when He walks in to the mess? If need be he’ll walk on water to get to where we are! With that still small whisper that I am learning to depend on and to listen for, he spoke to my heart “I would be in both lines”. He reminded me that he came to seek and save that which is lost. People are his passion regardless of what line they stand in. Both lines that day contained hopeless people, and both lines had people that were lost and needed a Savior. It doesn’t matter if you are homeless standing in a line for some food or a blanket; or if you’re standing in a line to eat with money in your pockets, without Christ in your heart, you are as lost as little turkey in high weeds. Jesus loves everybody. He loves the rich, the poor, the homeless, the Republican, the Democrat, the independent, the socialist; he even loves you and me. Let’s not judge the people for what line they are standing in but how about this, let’s love all the people standing in the line. That’s what Jesus would do.
Standing in line, feeling His love,