Looking past.

Who's a blogger fail? ehh, that'd be this girl.
But it's all good. We'll spend about 3 or so weeks playing a massive amount of catch up when I get home.

Did want to bring something out today...
How often do we look the other way when we see someone in need?
Today, part of my team and I went to Chinatown (cheapest souvenirs ever, btw). Right before we got to the gate, I noticed a man begging for money/food in front of Starbucks. I'm gonna call him David, because like King David in the Bible, I'm sure that he's a lot more than any earthly person thinks he is. He had a sign that said 'Sick with AIDS. Need money/food. Every little bit helps. God bless.

Some people have given him change.

Some people had given him food (one of my teammates gave him a sandwich).

But most looked the other way.

Now, I'm aware. Not every person who's homeless and begging on the street is completely helpless. I've met plenty of hippies and others who have chosen the homeless life for themselves. But the look on this man's face, and the way that his body looked suggested that he was fighting a losing battle with a disease that's struck so many of San Francisco's citizens. He looked lost and confused. I'm pretty sure that he was nearly asleep while he was sitting up as well.

He struggled to open the bag that the sandwich came in. I heard someone laugh as they watched him, and anger stirred up inside of me. I watched him eat only have of it, and put the other half back to save for later.
What kind of existence is that? You have to save half of a turkey sandwich from a stranger, just because you don't know where your next meal is gonna come from.
But that's the existence of a lot of people that we've come in contact with.

So, why do we ignore it? Have we become so accustomed to it that we turn an eye, because it's a 'normal' site for us?

Or have we put ourselves on a pedestal, that we think that we're better than the ones like him?

Or have we become to self-absorbed that we forget to notice the need of those around us?

Let me give you a different spin on James 1:27 (the whole chapter is worth memorizing in my book, but we'll just go with this verse for now). It says 'Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.' Basically, the people James was writing to were really caught up in themselves. So part one, James told them to go look after the widows and orphans, who, back then, were considered the most helpless people around. Application for today: True religion is looking after those who can't look after themselves. INCLUDING homeless Aids victims. Part 2: He tells the Christians he's writing to to keep themselves unstained from the world.
The attitudes of self-righteousness and self absorption are stains of the world. They're sin, because both of these attitudes keep us from following what Christ has asked us to do, regardless of the situation. I know this is hard to stomach (it's hard for me to remind myself of this), but sometimes, we have to get off of our high horses to be able to minister to others.

So when you see a homeless person, remember: That could be you. Every one of us has a story, and our stories could've led us down very different paths. If you're worried how they'll spend the money you give them, buy them a sandwich. I'm to the point that I'd rather spend 4 bucks on a sandwich for someone that may/may not be hungry that pass up my chance to show someone the love of Christ.

(I'll post pictures and happy stories later. This just won't escape my heart for some reason).