Viewing Life Through Another Person's Experience
A few days ago, I had the opportunity to connect with an old friend, someone I have known for over 30 years. We used to see each other regularly when we both lived in Minnesota but he moved to a warmer climate for health reasons and I went to Nebraska for a new ministry assignment. We continued to communicate periodically, mostly by phone, but it grew more intermittent as the years went by. Eventually, we were only connecting a couple of times per year. When we did connect, it was the normal get caught-up-on-life conversations. Until this last one, when I found out he was now homeless, seriously ill and living in a shelter with 15 other men. What? Is he just pulling my leg? When he first told me what had happened, it didn’t seem real to me. I was hearing it all but finding it hard to believe. But over the next 45 minutes, I would get a summary of the all too real events which described his struggle to find a job that paid enough so he could gain access to healthcare. There also were ongoing health concerns, which continued to get worse instead of better. Physical pain and general poor health kept him from being able to work even entry-level jobs which are in abundance in our current economy. His physical condition led to the exhausting of his financial resources and after not being able to pay his rent for a couple of months, he finally was evicted from his apartment. With no place to store his belongings, he left them all behind with the exception of a few things he could put into a backpack. He walked to a nearby park, sat down on an open bench, and asked God, “now what do I do?”
There is lots more to the story but my telling of someone else’s personal tragedy is not really my point. And fortunately, God has moved in such a way that this story is likely to have a positive ending. But the whole experience has challenged me to think about others and their circumstances differently. Which is why I chose to write about it.
You see it is fairly easy to ignore the hardship of others when you don’t really know them or aren’t connected to them in any meaningful way. It is easy to think their current situation is simply the result of their poor choices and/or an unwillingness to work hard. But our critical assessment, which turns easily to judgment, is usually poorly informed, and often filtered through at least some personal prejudice. But it nonetheless provides the internal cover we need to relieve ourselves of any responsibility to get involved. They are to blame and we are free to let them reap the consequences of their actions.
But are we really released to ignore the pain and suffering that goes on daily all around us, even if it is of their own making? Scripture suggests otherwise. The general mandate to love our neighbor, along with the specific command to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2) knows nothing of how a person finds themselves in need. The call is to love people and help wherever possible in ways within our capability.
There is much pain and suffering in our world today. Financial issues, mental illness, family breakdown, chronic illness and disease, all work to create severe stressors on individuals and families. What are your current thoughts and beliefs about those who find themselves in need? Is it simply their problem to figure it out or is God calling you to get involved with helping someone you know? You don’t have to look very far to find someone.
Author
Pastor Bruce is the Executive Director of God's Living Stones. He lives in Omaha, NE, with his wife Barb. They have two adult children.
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