At work the other day, I decided to take a few minutes to go across the interstate to fuel up my car. As I passed under the bridge at about 3am or so, I noticed two homeless guys asleep under the bridge. As I passed by, one of them raised his head up and we made eye contact for a split second. I can’t describe what happened there except to say that it was like I was able to take a glimpse into his life in a way that went beyond just seeing him lying there on his pallet. I felt like I had just felt his hurt. Deep hurt. I don’t know any of the details that led to his misfortune, but I felt like he had somehow let me feel his heart. It’s likely that he’s afflicted with some sort of mental health issues or possibly an addiction of some kind, but it didn’t matter in that moment. All I saw there was a man. Not a bum or a junkie or a victim but a man. And as I parked my car and pumped my gas, I couldn’t stop replaying that quick moment in my head.
…I look over and see those eyes….
…I look over and see those eyes….
…I look over and see those eyes….
And it hit me. Who was he? That was Jesus lying there.
I didn’t know what I could’ve done to love that man, but I knew that I did love him. I loved him deeply. I wanted to lavish my love upon him. I wanted to help him up and then roll up his dirty pallet and place it in my trunk and then take him to my home and introduce him to my wife and kids. I wanted to offer him my shower and fix him a bowl of cereal. I wanted to tell him everything about my life and learn everything about his. I wanted to….. Click…. The gas tank is full… And then I got back in my car, and I drove away; drove back to my life that is conveniently rich with a comfortable house and plush mattress and no hurts that could even begin to compare to the ones I saw in those eyes. The ones I felt in that heart.
…..oh Jesus…. How many times have I passed you by without even noticing.
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:40
2 comments:
Your post really blesses me. May the Lord continue to give us eyes to see people and not just ourselves. And more importantly the next step to love one another.
This is a beautiful and challenging post. Thank you Aaron.
Post a Comment