The Lesson of the Homeless

[crazypipe]

THE LESSON OF THE HOMELESS
It was a cold winter's day that Sunday. The parking lot to the church was filling up quickly. I noticed as I got out of my car fellow church members were whispering among themselves as they walked in the church.
As I got closer I saw a man leaned up against the wall outside the church. He was almost laying down as if he was asleep. He had on a long trench coat that was almost in shreds and a hat topped his head, pulled down so you could not see his face. He wore shoes that looked 30 years old, too small for his feet, with holes all over them, his toes stuck out.
I assumed this man was homeless, and asleep, so I walked on by through the doors of the church.
We all fellowshipped for a few minutes, and someone brought up the man laying outside. People snickered and gossiped but no one bothered to ask him to come in, including me.
A few moments later church began. We all waited for the Preacher to take his place and to give us the Word, when the doors to the church opened.
In came the homeless man walking down the aisle with his head down.
People gasped and whispered and made faces.
He made his way down the aisle and up onto the pulpit where he took off his hat and coat. My heart sank.
There stood our preacher...he was the "homeless man."
No one said a word.
The preacher took his Bible and laid it on his stand.
"Folks, I don't think I have to tell you what I am preaching about today. If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

 

[cortezattic]

OUCH! 8O
Not much need for a sermon after that!

 

[drwatson]

If you judge people, you have no time to love them
So true! Thanks for posting good story/lesson

 

[eibhir]

That's so true. Thank you for sharing!

 

[zonomo]

Great object lesson.

 

[flmason]

Thanks for sharing the story. It is very sad that most people are judged on outward appearances without getting to know the real person.

 

[quincy]

Yes! Brilliant! I love the courage of that pastor!

 

[wnghanglow]

I didn't judge my new roommate on his past, payed April's rent, didn pay march and stole my table. It's a nice story but making quick judgments of people is learned behavior to keep you safe. I judge now.

 

[Wellington]

Is this a made up illustration or an actual experience?

I try not to judge and I try to love people. I'm very serious about my faith and would die for it and sadly the North American Christian church doesn't see what loving Jesus and mentoring under him really means. I'm guilty of it myself.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

OUCH!
Not much need for a sermon after that!

Agreed!
When I was young, and quite impressionable, my mother used to take me to her church. We were a poor family, and couldn't afford the best clothing. For a while I suppose I kind of liked going to church, going to sunday school and vacation bible school once a year. But at some point, the fact that I may have worn jeans with a hole in the knees, or that I liked to wear my hair long, started causing eyes to turn in my direction or words to be said in whispers hidden behind hands. Suddenly I really didn't much care for going to church anymore. And as I got older in my childhood and teen years I came under even more judgement. I wasn't a bad kid. Sure I made some mistakes, but what kid doesn't? The fact that people, christians more often than not, prejudged me mainly on my attire, caused a deep resentment of people who called themselves "christians." I found myself going down different paths as far away from christianity as you can get. I was in my early 30's before I found my way back. We should all, whether we are christian or not, be very careful how we look upon our fellow man. Especially when basing our opinions on nothing more than appearance. We don't know what an individuals story is, we haven't walked in his or her shoes. Instead of looking down on someone, we should offer our hand in friendship. If we get burned, we get burned. If someone ends up hurting us or betraying us or they turn out to be a bad seed.... well, someone wearing a three piece suit, and driving a Jag can be just as bad a person as the one wearing all black with multiple tattoos. And either one of them could be a wonderful human being. My two cents.

 

[rjscha]

I didn't judge my new roommate on his past, payed April's rent, didn pay march and stole my table. It's a nice story but making quick judgments of people is learned behavior to keep you safe. I judge now.

@wnghanglow Bummer that happened. I've been burned a time or two myself. I've learned that there's a difference between using wisdom and not judging a person's soul. The bible teaches not to judge, but Jesus also said to be as wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove. Believe the best about people, and also temper it with wisdom. That's helped me alot.

 

[allan]

Truly a sensitive topic, here, at least for me. Living in NYC area one is confronted with this type of situation almost daily. Many of us heard about the police officer who found a man in the street with no shoes and he went to the store and bought him shoes etc. Captured the media attention and clearly this officer is represents some of the best NYPD representatives that we have.
(I believe it turned out that that homeless man was mentally ill and either sold the shoes or got rid of them)
In any case, as a daily thing in my work neigborhood I have to decide whether or not to hand out money to local dwellers who appear and take up residence during the day at specific locations to collect handouts and seem to retire somewhere else at night.
My wife gives to almost everyone she sees in this plight. Her grandmother taught her to do that, even while lecturing some to get food and not buy liquor.
I generally pick and choose, on no absolute basis whatsoever. Sometimes I feel guilty for not giving frequently enough, having seemingly so much more than others. Other times I just walk away and don't 'see' them at all.
I never go to any organized church or synagogue (unless a family function-I have both Christians and Jews in my family) believing these places generally are as far from G-d as one can get. But i do wrestle with this type of concept, wondering which is truly the 'right' way.
Allan

 

[lumberjakpipester]

Sure you can get hurt by others sometimes, but it pails in comparison to the hurt you can inflict on yourself by prematurely judging others and not giving them a chance. That pastor is a great man, sadly, most religious figures I have come across in my life are not of his caliber. Makes me think of a George Brassens song "la messe au pendu".

 

[kcghost]

Most of us just don't want to be bothered with somebody elses problems. There just seems to be no end to the scam artists and, at times, it seems to not be worth the trouble to sort out the scammers from the truly needy.

 

[lordwolf]

Bazinga!

 

[rjscha]

It's a heavy burden having to decide if a particular person is in legitimate need or a scam artist. No one wants to be taken advantage of or scammed. The problem with helping "deserving" people is it still requires us to act as judge--deciding who's worthy instead of who's not.
When you can and you feel compelled, give generously and freely. No one can take advantage of you when you are giving freely. How they use our gift is on them not us.

 

[wnghanglow]

Rjscha, i havn't heard the wise as a arrogant and harmless as a dove before, you happen to know which scripture it is? Not questioning you I would just like to read it myself.

 

[rlunderhill]

What you give can be just a smile to warm someones day. A simple good Morning to someone that looks sad. You have the power to change that persons day from bad to good.
If I'm standing in a group or next to someone, I always try to engage in conversation. It eases tension and makes you out to be a good person. My friends ask me, do you know that person? I answer, I do now.

 

[yadan]

As an observant Jew, I am taught by the Torah (the first 5 books of the Bible) that it is strictly forbidden to ignore a person in distress. Yet this sadly happens all the time just about everywhere. But we are social beings, our brothers' keepers. 'No man is an island.'