Okay . . . so I'm not a big fan of the tube that sucks our time & presence away from one another but this was sent to me today & I thought it powerful & beautiful enough to post.
Over the last year I've been meeting with & befriending a lot of homeless men & women - many of whom are veterans. Many are addicts of one kind or another, some suffer from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), some have other mental diseases that completely sideline them into depression & eventual suicide attempts, and most all of them suffer from feelings & thoughts of utter unworthiness & guilt for past actions.
But when we enter into presence with one another as equals - recognizing the image of God in one another (whether we use those words or not) there is often a small shift in how we begin seeing the toothless, sun leathered skin men & women before us. The question we must ask ourselves in the end - do we ultimately view strangers (especially the unattractive ones) as potential threats to our being & society or as potential allies & friends in a universe awash in love?
More thoughts on the homeless & marginal people later. Be upended by this choir.