The Endless Knot
Although the title of this post is the same as the last book in a great trilogy, I couldn't think of a better one because it fit so gosh-darn well.
Yesterday morning, my roommate and I were discussing different issues of the same thing. Namely, why don't people help out each other all the time, not just during the holiday season. I emphasized the need for the church to be at the forefront of this. This prompted him to relay a story about when he was younger and on the streets. He said he had been walking for a number of days and was smelly and hungry and tired. He walked into a church and found a couple. While he was asking them about catching some sleep in one of the class rooms and maybe getting a sandwich from the kitchen later, they called the police. Can you imagine? He was arrested. That couple had him arrested for wanting to get some sleep and a bite to eat!
That story just kills me! I mean, I can't imagine Jesus ever doing anything like that. And yet, here these people were, people who were supposed to be his word made flesh, his body on the earth, and they didn't act like Jesus. They took some one who was looking for a little kindness and mercy and had him arrested. If you knew my roommate, you could understand that going into that church was a huge deal. And that couple failed the test miserably.
We talked about how crappy that was and how people shouldn't treat each other that way.
Anyway, he took the car and ran some errands. He was gone most of the afternoon. When he got back, I took the car and went to church (I had left my Book of Common Prayer there when I served on Sunday). I didn't see him. He went in the back door and I went out the front door.
I got to St John's and retrieved my prayer book and was about to leave when I was asked if I could take a man to a local homeless shelter. 'Sure,' I replied. So, the man and I took off for the shelter and we had a good conversation along the way. Apparently this man had been walking for a while in the cold and was trying to get back down to some property he inherited a long way south of here. When we got to the shelter, I went in with him to make certain that they had a room available. He thanked me and I left and returned home.
Upon arriving at home, my roommate told me an interesting story about picking up a hitchhiker on his way back from the city. He said the guy had been walking for a while in the cold and was trying to get back down to some property he inherited south of here. The man asked him if he knew of a homeless shelter around. My roommate said he didn't but he knew of a church that would help him. 'If any church can help you out, it's St John's,' he said. After buying the man a meal and some smokes, he dropped him off at St John's. The he returned home and came in the back door as I was walking out the front door.
I said, 'I dropped by St John's and picked up a man and took him to a homeless shelter.'
We both just looked at each other a little bit stunned. 'There is something bigger going on here' he said. 'It's like someone was saying "Put your money where your mouth is".'
'Yeah,' I said.
'That was just too cool,' he said.
Yeah. Cool.
It looks like we passed the test. This time, anyway. I hope we continue to serve Christ in all persons and respect the dignity of every human being. Furthermore, I pray that we see that light in all of creation, not just humanity.
Blessings from God be with you.
OD
Yesterday morning, my roommate and I were discussing different issues of the same thing. Namely, why don't people help out each other all the time, not just during the holiday season. I emphasized the need for the church to be at the forefront of this. This prompted him to relay a story about when he was younger and on the streets. He said he had been walking for a number of days and was smelly and hungry and tired. He walked into a church and found a couple. While he was asking them about catching some sleep in one of the class rooms and maybe getting a sandwich from the kitchen later, they called the police. Can you imagine? He was arrested. That couple had him arrested for wanting to get some sleep and a bite to eat!
That story just kills me! I mean, I can't imagine Jesus ever doing anything like that. And yet, here these people were, people who were supposed to be his word made flesh, his body on the earth, and they didn't act like Jesus. They took some one who was looking for a little kindness and mercy and had him arrested. If you knew my roommate, you could understand that going into that church was a huge deal. And that couple failed the test miserably.
We talked about how crappy that was and how people shouldn't treat each other that way.
Anyway, he took the car and ran some errands. He was gone most of the afternoon. When he got back, I took the car and went to church (I had left my Book of Common Prayer there when I served on Sunday). I didn't see him. He went in the back door and I went out the front door.
I got to St John's and retrieved my prayer book and was about to leave when I was asked if I could take a man to a local homeless shelter. 'Sure,' I replied. So, the man and I took off for the shelter and we had a good conversation along the way. Apparently this man had been walking for a while in the cold and was trying to get back down to some property he inherited a long way south of here. When we got to the shelter, I went in with him to make certain that they had a room available. He thanked me and I left and returned home.
Upon arriving at home, my roommate told me an interesting story about picking up a hitchhiker on his way back from the city. He said the guy had been walking for a while in the cold and was trying to get back down to some property he inherited south of here. The man asked him if he knew of a homeless shelter around. My roommate said he didn't but he knew of a church that would help him. 'If any church can help you out, it's St John's,' he said. After buying the man a meal and some smokes, he dropped him off at St John's. The he returned home and came in the back door as I was walking out the front door.
I said, 'I dropped by St John's and picked up a man and took him to a homeless shelter.'
We both just looked at each other a little bit stunned. 'There is something bigger going on here' he said. 'It's like someone was saying "Put your money where your mouth is".'
'Yeah,' I said.
'That was just too cool,' he said.
Yeah. Cool.
It looks like we passed the test. This time, anyway. I hope we continue to serve Christ in all persons and respect the dignity of every human being. Furthermore, I pray that we see that light in all of creation, not just humanity.
Blessings from God be with you.
OD
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